The city of Cape Town in South Africa has been hit by severe flooding, damaging thousands of homes and causing at least one fatality. These extreme weather conditions also significantly impact global trade, as winter storms disrupt the passage of container ships.
Vessels measuring several hundred meters in length, capable of carrying nearly 200,000 tons of goods across the oceans, are experiencing major delays. On Friday, July 12th, a CMA CGM-operated container ship lost 44 containers at sea after encountering a blizzard off the coast of South Africa.
Earlier in the week, another container ship carrying fertilizer ran aground off the coast of Cape Town, forcing the entire crew to evacuate. These incidents underscore the fact that such vessels are not accustomed to navigating these treacherous waters. Under normal circumstances, container ships travel through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to connect the Indian Ocean with ports in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The route around the Cape of Good Hope is not typically used.
However, since November, Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, have increased drone and missile attacks on commercial ships. The deployment of a multinational force has failed to curb these hostilities, prompting many shipping companies to reroute their vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. This alternative, as recent events show, is not without its own risks.
The severe weather has also submerged several roads, including national highways, and the rising levels of regional dams remain a significant concern. According to the Western Cape province, nearly 7,000 homes and infrastructure in Cape Town have been damaged, affecting more than 8,000 people. Over the past few days, the adverse weather conditions have damaged close to 14,000 structures and impacted more than 15,000 residents in the region.