Port Said to Cape Town shipping route.

The shipping route from Port Said, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa covers 5,520 nautical miles port to port, via Suez Canal. On a globe the two ports sit 7,395 km apart, so the ship sails 1.38 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb and Cape of Good Hope, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

At sea, the voyage lasts 19.2 days at 12 knots, 16.4 days at 14 knots and 12.8 days at 18 knots. 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 Port Said and Cape Town to plan the full ocean transit time.

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent direct sails 7,147 nm instead of 5,520 nm and spends roughly 4.8 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

Container freight rates on Port Said 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 Port Said in this directory, Cape Town is the 33rd shortest. Closer destinations include Tanjung Priok (5,349 nm), Montreal (5,206 nm) and New York (5,112 nm).