Port Warehouse Premises Lease (20-Year Term)

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), an operating division of Transnet SOC Ltd, is inviting Requests for Proposal (RFP TNPA/2026/10/0004/114896/RFP) for the lease of premises at the Port of East London, identified as Land Asset Number EBX2468L, located on a portion of Erf 19720. The property extends to approximately 23,413 m² and is offered for a lease period of up to twenty (20) years. The proposed use is warehousing and port-related commercial activities. The premises are currently occupied and used as warehousing for ship repair. The property is offered on an as-is (voetstoots) basis. The electrical substation on site must remain accessible to TNPA, and the slipway is excluded from the leasable area. Bidders must note that the premises are known to contain asbestos-containing materials. The successful bidder assumes full responsibility, cost and liability for asbestos identification, management, abatement and lawful disposal, as well as for any refurbishment, repairs, upgrades and capital improvements needed to make the premises fit for purpose. Any demolition requires prior written TNPA approval and Heritage Council of South Africa approval, and a demolition plan addressing asbestos must be submitted to TNPA.

Bidders are evaluated in stages: administrative responsiveness, substantive responsiveness (a priced rental offer in the prescribed Section 4 schedule), and a functionality threshold of 66.67 out of 100. Functionality is assessed on previous experience (company profile, at least two reference letters not older than five years), track record (a bank rating not older than three months), alignment with the Port Development Framework Plan and Port priority activities, market analysis, value added to port operations, a capital expenditure and work breakdown schedule, a maintenance plan, and signed cash flow projections over the lease term. Final scoring uses an 80/20 or 90/10 price-to-specific-goals split, depending on the lease value, with specific goals including B-BBEE status level and ownership by black youth, black women and persons with disabilities. Rental offers must be quoted in ZAR inclusive of VAT, with annual escalation built into the offer. Transnet may conduct post-tender negotiations to reach a market-related rental. Mandatory and essential returnable documents include the SBD 1 form, a Certificate of Acquaintance, the RFP Declaration, the Specific Goals Claim Form, job creation and skills development commitments, a company resolution, a valid tax compliance PIN, CSD registration, an environmental management plan, a traffic management plan, public liability insurance and latest financial statements. Bidders must also complete a Business Plan, which must be approved before a lease can be signed. A non-compulsory briefing session takes place online on 30 October 2026 at 12:00. Clarification questions must be submitted by 20 November 2026 at 16:00. The closing date is 27 November 2026 at 15:00, and bids remain valid for 120 business days.

The opportunity offers a long-term, port-based location in East London, a strategic automotive and multipurpose port with a development pipeline that includes port expansion and enhanced operational efficiency. Successful lessees gain security of tenure over a substantial industrial property and the opportunity to align with TNPA's growth plans for the port. Note that the source documents are not fully consistent: the tender title refers to East Bank, while Section 3 of the RFP refers to West Bank, and a submission deadline of 3 April 2026 appears in the disclaimers. Interested parties should confirm the property location, the closing date and all other details directly with TNPA (elsproperty@transnet.net) before preparing a submission. The draft lease also requires the lessee to maintain at least B-BBEE Level 4 status throughout the lease, and foreign bidders must register a South African company before concluding a lease.