United Kingdom
South AfricaFelixstowe to Cape Town shipping route.
6,245 nautical miles direct, about 18.6 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Felixstowe and Cape Town
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
FelixstoweSeaCape TownShipping time from Felixstowe to Cape Town
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 6,245 nm | 21.7 d | 18.6 d | 14.5 d |
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About the Felixstowe to Cape Town shipping route
The shipping route from Felixstowe, United Kingdom to Cape Town, South Africa covers 6,245 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 9,696 km apart, so the ship sails 1.19 times the straight line distance. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.
Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 18.6 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 21.7 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 14.5. 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 Felixstowe and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.
350 nm of the route, 6% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.
Container freight rates on Felixstowe 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 61 port to port routes from Felixstowe in this directory, Cape Town is the 28th shortest. Closer destinations include Jebel Ali (6,207 nm), Callao (6,169 nm) and Karachi (6,132 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Felixstowe to Cape Town?
The port to port distance from Felixstowe to Cape Town is 6,245 nautical miles (11,566 km), direct.
What is the shipping time from Felixstowe to Cape Town?
About 18.6 days at 14 knots and 14.5 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
350 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Cape Town to Felixstowe has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Felixstowe to
Bremerhaven325 nm - Felixstowe to Hamburg372 nm
- Felixstowe to
Gothenburg537 nm - Felixstowe to
Gdansk933 nm - Felixstowe to
Algeciras1,333 nm - Felixstowe to Valencia1,717 nm
- Durban to Cape Town875 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
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.