Shekou to Durban

China → South Africa · 157 records · Updated today
39.5d
at sea
47.3d
door-to-door
35.4–40.8 d typical (P25–P75)
Route comparison 1 path · 157 leg observations
Maersk
Direct
39.5d
157records
Maersk (122) · also MSC (35) · P25–P75 35.4–40.8 d
Add 6.0d gate-in at Shekou and 1.83d gate-out at Durban for door-to-door totals. Times are sail-only and exclude port dwell.

Path breakdown

PathRecordsActual medianP25–P75 rangeTS dwell
Direct 15739.5d35.4–40.8 d

All values are actuals from tracked container records. Paths flagged low n have fewer than 20 records and should be read as directional.

Frequently asked questions

How long does container shipping take from Shekou to Durban?

The median transit time is 39.5 days. This is based on 131 containers tracked end-to-end on this exact direct path.

What is the typical range of transit times from Shekou to Durban?

Most containers arrive within 35.4–40.8 days (P25–P75 of 157 tracked records on this lane). Plan with this range, not a single number.

What is the sea distance from Shekou to Durban?

The shipping distance from Shekou to Durban is approximately 6,288 nautical miles (11,645 km).

Which shipping lines operate the Shekou to Durban route?

Maersk line operates direct service on this lane in our tracked dataset.

Are there transshipment options on the Shekou to Durban route?

No transshipment paths are present in the tracked dataset for this lane — containers observed move directly from Shekou to Durban.

What is the typical door-to-door time from Shekou to Durban?

Approximately 47.3 days door-to-door. The median gate-in dwell at Shekou is 6.0 days. Vessel sail time from Shekou to Durban is 39.5 days. The median gate-out dwell at Durban is 1.83 days.

About This Route

Container shipping from Shekou to Durban spans approximately 6,288 nautical miles, equivalent to 11,645 kilometres of sea route. Our tracked dataset for this lane includes 157 records across qualifying paths. Of those, 131 containers were tracked end-to-end on the direct path (literally booked from Shekou to Durban with no transshipment). The median sail time on direct service is 39.5 days. Most shipments arrive within 35.4 to 40.8 days, the P25–P75 range covering the middle half of observed transits.

The typical door-to-door figure is 47.3 days. Median gate-in dwell at Shekou is 6.0 days, representing the time a container spends at the origin terminal between arrival at the gate and loading onto the vessel. Vessel sail time from Shekou to Durban is 39.5 days. Median gate-out dwell at Durban is 1.83 days, covering discharge and the time before pickup at the destination terminal.

Direct service — meaning no transshipment between origin and destination — is the dominant routing on this corridor. It is supported by 157 leg-level observations on the direct segment. Of those, 131 were containers literally booked direct from Shekou to Durban and tracked end-to-end on this exact path. Maersk operates the dominant tracked direct service. Containers carried by MSC also traversed this corridor without an intermediate transshipment, generally as sub-segments of longer journeys. On the direct segment, the median sail time is 39.5 days, and the P25–P75 range runs from 35.4 to 40.8 days.

For planning purposes, treat the 35.4 to 40.8 day P25–P75 range as the realistic arrival window for direct service. About half of all observed direct shipments fell within that 5.4-day spread. When committing door-to-door dates to consignees, account for an additional 6.0 days of gate-in dwell at Shekou and 1.83 days of gate-out dwell at Durban on top of the chosen sail time.

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