SAMSA Chief Executive Captain Dennis Mqadi said the authority is closely monitoring developments following military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that has heightened security risks along critical maritime chokepoints, including the Strait of Hormuz.

Under normal conditions, cargo ships traveling from Asia and the Gulf to Europe pass through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman before entering the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which lies between Yemen and Djibouti. From there, vessels transit the Suez Canal in Egypt into the Mediterranean, connecting to major European ports in Italy, Greece, and Spain.

With that route increasingly considered unsafe, many ships are diverting south across the Indian Ocean and sailing around Africa’s southern coastline. The alternative passage around the Cape of Good Hope can extend voyages by nearly two weeks and add thousands of kilometers to global shipping routes.

SAMSA said its Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town has raised its maritime domain awareness level to monitor vessel movements in real time as traffic increases along South Africa’s coastline.

"We stand fully prepared to support all vessels choosing to navigate past our coastline, thereby providing the right of innocent passage as per the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Mqadi said. "We remain ready to provide navigational guidance, maritime domain awareness updates, and safety information to ensure secure and efficient passage for all ships.”

At the Port of Durban, one of Africa’s busiest shipping hubs, dockworkers and harbor pilots said they are already seeing signs of increased vessel scheduling. "There are more inquiries from shipping agents about Cape routes,” said a local logistics coordinator who works with port authorities. "Everyone is watching how the situation in the Middle East develops.”

Maritime analysts say the shift could temporarily increase the strategic importance of southern African shipping lanes while raising fuel costs and delivery times for global supply chains.