Africa’s Top 10 Premier Seaports: Major Trade Gateways

Seaports are vital to the growth of any economy, serving as gateways for global trade and shaping economic relationships worldwide.

In Africa, seaports are especially crucial, linking the continent’s rich resources to the global market.

These ports facilitate the export of key commodities like minerals, oil, and agricultural products, which are essential for the sustenance of many African economies.

They also create employment opportunities and boost regional corporations.

Given their importance, it’s interesting to note which African seaports are the most pivotal in terms of trade volume.

According to the African Union, about 90% of all traded goods on the continent are transported by sea.

The Bird Story Agency, through its Bird TenX series, has released a report identifying the 10 most important seaports in Africa based on the volume of trade they handle.

Also Read: Africa’s Top 10 Premier International Airports

Africa’s Top 10 Essential Seaports

1. Tanger Med, Morocco: Africa’s largest seaport, located near Tangier, with a capacity for 9 million TEUs, 1 million new vehicles, and handling 7 million passengers and 700,000 trucks annually.
2. Port Said, Egypt: Egypt’s busiest port, located at the northern end of the Suez Canal, with a capacity for 5 million tons of TEUs.
3. Port of Durban, South Africa: The largest port in sub-Saharan Africa, situated on the east coast, with a capacity of 2.9 million TEUs and 600,000 shipped vehicle units.
4. Lekki Deep Sea Port, Nigeria: Situated in Lagos, Nigeria’s busiest seaport can handle 2.7 million TEUs.
5. Port of Ngqura, South Africa: An important deep-water container port on the east coast, near Gqeberha, within a Special Economic Zone, with a capacity of 2 million TEUs.
6. Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast: Located in southern Abidjan, it expanded its capacity to 2.5 million TEUs after adding a second container terminal in 2022.
7. Port of Casablanca, Morocco: Near Hassan II Mosque, it is one of the largest artificial ports with a capacity of 1.3 million TEUs and 21.3 million tons of cargo annually.
8. Mombasa Port, Kenya: Known as the gateway to East Africa, this port in the coastal city of Mombasa handles 1.65 million containers annually.
9. Port of Doraleh, Djibouti: An extension of the Port of Djibouti, located west of Djibouti City, with a capacity of 1.65 million containers per year, linking Europe, the Far East, the Persian Gulf, and the Horn of Africa.
10. Tema Port, Ghana: Ghana’s busiest port in the southeast, handling 70% of the country’s maritime transport, with a capacity of 22,000 TEUs, significantly increased from 5,000 in 2022.