Port of Saldanha Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

South Atlantic · Bulk Cargo Terminal

UN/LOCODE
ZASAL
Country
🇿🇦 South Africa
Port Type
Bulk Cargo Terminal
Ocean Region
South Atlantic
Latitude
-33.0000° S
Longitude
17.9300° E

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Vessels on Sanctions Lists Seen at Saldanha Bay

None of the 16 vessels our AIS feed observed within 25 nm of Saldanha Bay between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026 broadcast an IMO number on the OFAC, EU, UK or UN sanctions list today. The feed saw only part of the traffic, so this does not mean no listed vessel called here. The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.

Joint War Committee listing

Not listed

Saldanha Bay is not inside any Joint War Committee listed area (circular JWLA-035, 16 September 2026).

Source: Joint War Committee circular JWLA-035, 16 September 2026 (LMA/IUA), JWC Listed Areas for hull war, piracy, terrorism and related perils.

Regional Risk Context — South Atlantic

Between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026, ArcNautical's AIS feed observed 16 distinct vessels at Saldanha Bay, with Cargo making up 88% of those with a ship-type code — higher than the South Atlantic regional average of 42%. Saldanha Bay in South Africa connects the major commodity exporters of West Africa and South America with global markets, carrying crude oil, iron ore, soybeans, coal, and containerised goods. The Gulf of Guinea has surpassed the Gulf of Aden as the world's most active piracy zone, accounting for the majority of global incidents and the vast majority of crew kidnappings. Unlike Somali piracy's hijacking-for-ransom model, Gulf of Guinea attacks typically aim at kidnap-for-ransom, cargo theft, and oil theft from tankers. The diversion of container traffic around the Cape of Good Hope due to Red Sea security threats has increased congestion at South Atlantic bunkering ports and along the South African coast.

Read the full South Atlantic risk briefing →

Sea Distances

Routed sea distances from Saldanha Bay to the principal global hubs, computed by ArcNautical's routing engine — around land and through the canals a ship actually uses, not great-circle.

Top Vessel Types (AIS observations)

Our AIS feed observed 16 distinct vessels at Saldanha Bay between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026; 16 carry a confirmed AIS ship-type code. The most common categories:

88%
Cargo
14 vessels
6%
Fishing
1 vessel
6%
Tanker
1 vessel

The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.

Port State Control Context

Saldanha Bay falls under the Indian Ocean MoU. The Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding does not publish a public bulk detention feed. PSC inspection regimes across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Mauritius, Iran, and the African Indian Ocean states vary in rigour. ArcNautical evaluates vessel-level detention probability using flag performance, age, deficiency history, and ownership opacity signals.

Latest Arrivals Recorded at Saldanha Bay

The last 10 vessels our AIS feed recorded arriving between 29 Apr 2026 and 5 Aug 2026:

ArrivedVesselFlagType
2026-08-04 LUCERNE 🇿🇦 ZA Fishing
2026-08-02 SEABIRD 🇨🇾 CY Cargo
2026-07-12 GLOBAL HARMONY 🇵🇦 PA Cargo
2026-06-10 SEAWAY FALCON 🇳🇴 NO Cargo
2026-06-10 GH HELM 🇧🇲 BM Cargo
2026-06-07 ALTZEK 🇱🇷 LR Cargo
2026-06-06 YASA URANUS 🇲🇭 MH Cargo
2026-05-31 EQUINOX GALINI 🇰🇾 KY Cargo
2026-05-30 UBUNTU LOYALTY 🇸🇬 SG Cargo
2026-05-30 UBUNTU COMMUNITY 🇬🇷 GR Cargo

The feed has delivered no positions since 5 Aug 2026, so these figures will not change until it resumes.

Score a Voyage from Saldanha Bay

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🇦🇴 Luanda
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🇨🇩 Matadi 🟠 Sanctions program
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🇨🇬 Pointe-Noire
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🇬🇦 Libreville
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🇬🇶 Malabo
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