The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) School of Commerce academic, Professor Mihalis Chasomeris, won the Best Port Study Award at the European Conference on Shipping, Intermodalism and Ports (ECONSHIP 2026) for his paper titled: ‘Economic Regulation of Port Authority Pricing in South Africa: A Constructive Critique of the Revenue Requirement Model’.
Held in Chios, Greece, the conference featured 126 research papers and attracted more than 200 researchers from 90 universities, research centres and organisations across 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, North and Latin America, and Africa.
Chasomeris’s paper critically examined the Required Revenue (RR) model used to regulate National Ports Authority (NPA) tariffs. The research provides evidence supporting a lower regulatory asset base (RAB), a lower asset beta and an equitable tax rate, provided the NPA remains a division of Transnet.
“The paper recalculates the NPA’s revenue requirement for the financial year 2026/27 using the adjusted input variables,” said Chasomeris.
He said the findings demonstrated significant potential to reduce NPA tariffs and offered evidence-based recommendations to assist the Ports Regulator of South Africa.
“The scenario analysis results show significant potential for future reductions in NPA tariffs. Indeed, the aggregated and cumulative effect of these adjustments could have led to a weighted-average tariff decrease of 30%. Overall, the research contributes to enhancing the economic regulation of the National Ports Authority and improving the efficiency, transparency, and global competitiveness of South Africa’s port system.”
Chasomeris also served on the conference’s International Scientific Committee, an expert advisory and review panel comprising 49 members from 15 countries. ECONSHIP 2026 was a regional conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). Committee members are affiliated with universities, research institutions and maritime organisations worldwide.
“I enjoyed this well-organised conference on the beautiful Island of Chios, discussing contemporary developments in ports and shipping, and our gracious hosts ensured that we experienced the renowned Greek hospitality, food and dance. Next year’s IAME conference will be in Rio de Janeiro and Niterói, Brazil from 05-09 July, and I encourage students and staff to become IAME members and participate in the annual conferences (see: https://www.iame.ac/about/conference/).”
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Jiorgos Kakitsis
