South AfricaSouth AfricaDurban to Cape Town shipping route.
875 nautical miles via Cape of Good Hope, about 2.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Durban and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
DurbanCape of Good HopeCape TownShipping time from Durban to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| via Cape of Good Hope (shortest) | 875 nm | 3.0 d | 2.6 d | 2.0 d |
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About the Durban to Cape Town shipping route
Durban to Cape Town is a 875 nautical mile shipping route via Cape of Good Hope, heading south west from South Africa to South Africa. That is 1,620 km of water against 1,271 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Cape of Good Hope.
Pure steaming time is 2.6 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 3.0 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 2.0. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Durban and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
Container freight rates on Durban to Cape Town move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Cape Town (ZACPT) carriers give about 3 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 65 port to port routes from Durban in this directory, Cape Town is the shortest. It is the closest port to Durban we cover.
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Durban to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from Durban to Cape Town is 875 nautical miles (1,620 km), via Cape of Good Hope. The route passes Cape of Good Hope.
What is the shipping time from Durban to Cape Town?
About 2.6 days at 14 knots and 2.0 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Cape Town to Durban has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Durban to
Mombasa1,759 nm - Durban to
Salalah3,137 nm - Durban to
Djibouti3,353 nm - Durban to
Lagos (Apapa)3,463 nm - Durban to
Colombo3,794 nm - Durban to
Nhava Sheva3,817 nm - Lagos (Apapa) to Cape Town2,619 nm
- Mombasa to Cape Town2,631 nm
Santos to Cape Town3,508 nm
Buenos Aires to Cape Town3,846 nm- Salalah to Cape Town4,010 nm
- Djibouti to Cape Town4,225 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.