Top Container Shipping Companies in Africa
Key African Ports
- Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth (South Africa): Key hubs for Southern Africa’s trade.
- Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania): Essential ports in East Africa.
- Lagos (Nigeria) and Tema (Ghana): Prominent ports in West Africa.
- Casablanca (Morocco), Alexandria & Port Said (Egypt): Strategic ports in North Africa.
- Port Louis (Mauritius) and Toamasina (Madagascar): Important hubs in the Indian Ocean.
Major Trade Routes
- Africa-Asia: A major route for commodities, raw materials, and manufactured goods.
- Africa-Europe: A critical link for agricultural exports, industrial goods, and consumer products.
- Africa-Middle East & Americas: Routes that facilitate growing intercontinental trade.
Top Container Shipping Companies in Africa
Africa’s largest container shipping companies include global giants like Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, COSCO, and Grindrod Shipping. These companies provide critical shipping services that help African businesses access global markets.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Services:
- Container Shipping: Regular services for containerized goods, ensuring reliable connections between Africa and major international markets in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.
- Reefer Transport: transport of temperature-sensitive goods, especially agricultural exports, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, etc.
- Intermodal Logistics: Provides logistics solutions combining sea, road, and rail transport to provide seamless door-to-door delivery across Africa.
- Key Markets:
- West Africa Express: Connects major West African ports to global trade routes.
- South Africa Express: Links Southern Africa to global trade routes.
- East Africa Express: Links trade East Africa to trade routes
- North Africa Express: Connects North Africa to global trade routes
- Challenges: Limited port infrastructure and intense competition with other global shipping giants, such as Maersk and CMA CGM, and economic & currency instability.
The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is the top largest container shipping company in Africa. It has a strong presence across 45 countries in Africa. The company serves key ports in North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and Indian Ocean islands. Also, it provides a wide range of shipping services, including containerized cargo, reefer (refrigerated) transport, and intermodal logistics. The shipping giant provides essential shipping and logistics services for agriculture, mining, energy, retail, and manufacturing industries.
Maersk Line
- Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Services:
- Container Shipping: Full container load and specialized container services for perishable foods.
- Inland Logistics: Transportation solutions for moving goods from ports to inland destinations.
- Supply Chain Management: Warehousing and distribution.
- Trade Solutions: Support for exporters and importers through financial services and trade facilitation.
- Key Markets:
- East Africa: Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
- West Africa: Lagos (Nigeria), Tema (Ghana), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
- North Africa: Egypt
- South Africa: Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, connecting southern Africa to global trade networks.
- Challenges: Piracy along the Gulf of Guinea and parts of the Indian Ocean, political instability and conflicts in regions like the Sahel, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa, and infrastructure issues.
Maersk Line, a leading global container shipping company, is another top container shipping company in Africa. Through its subsidiary, APM Terminals, Maersk operates port and terminal facilities in Africa. Key services include container shipping, inland transportation, and supply chain management, ensuring seamless movement of goods within and beyond the country’s borders.
CMA CGM
- Headquarters: Marseille, France
- Services:
- Container Shipping: Full container load and specialized container services for perishable foods from African ports to global trade routes.
- Inland Logistics: End-to-end logistics solutions, including warehousing, inland transportation, and freight forwarding.
- eCommerce Solutions: Digital tools to manage shipping and tracking.
- Key Markets:
- West Africa: Strong presence in Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast.
- East Africa: Active in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
- Southern Africa: Major operations in South Africa and Mozambique.
- Challenges: Piracy along the Gulf of Guinea, outdated & congested port infrastructures, currency fluctuations, political instability in some regions
CMA CGM Africa is the African regional division of the CMA CGM Group. As one of Africa’s largest container shipping companies, it operates in key African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast. CMA CGM Africa offers comprehensive shipping solutions, including containerized shipping, reefer services for temperature-sensitive goods, and specialized cargo handling.
China COSCO Shipping Corporation
- Headquarters: Shanghai, China.
- Services:
- Container Shipping: container shipping services from major African ports to global trade routes, facilitating exports of raw materials and imports of goods.
- Bulk Shipping: Transport of bulk commodities like crude oil, coal, iron ore, and agricultural products to and from Africa.
- Terminal Operations: COSCO operates and partners with terminals in several African ports
- Logistics Services: Comprehensive logistics solutions, including warehousing, freight forwarding, and supply chain management, are provided to African businesses.
- Key Markets:
- East Africa: Major operations in ports such as Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
- West Africa: Active in Lagos (Nigeria), Tema (Ghana), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
- North Africa: Egypt is a critical hub, with operations in the Suez Canal and Alexandria Port.
- South Africa: Operations in Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, connecting southern Africa to global trade networks.
- Challenges: infrastructural bottlenecks in some African countries, currency fluctuations, political instability in some regions
China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited (COSCO) is one of the largest container shipping companies in the world and in Africa. As a state-owned enterprise based in Shanghai, China, COSCO is critical in facilitating global trade and connecting African economies to international markets. Its operations in Africa are integral to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to enhance trade and infrastructure ties between China and the rest of the world.
Hapag-Lloyd
- Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
- Services:
- Container Shipping: container shipping services from major African ports to global trade routes, facilitating exports of raw materials and imports of goods.
- Key Markets:
- East Africa: Operates from Mombasa (Kenya) to global markets
- West Africa: Active from Lagos (Nigeria) & Tema (Ghana) and ships to European, American, and Asian markets
- South Africa: Operates in Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, connecting South Africa to global trade networks.
- Challenges: infrastructural bottlenecks in some African countries and political instability in some regions
Hapag-Lloyd is a top global container shipping company with a significant African presence. The company supports trade by connecting African markets with global trade hubs in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East.
Ocean Network Express (ONE)
- Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
- Services:
- Container Shipping: Comprehensive Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL) services.
- Specialized Containers: Includes reefer containers for temperature-sensitive cargo, flat-rack containers, and open-top containers for oversized goods.
- Door-to-Door Logistics: Integrated solutions that combine ocean freight with inland transport and warehousing.
- Key Markets:
- East Africa: Operates from Mombasa (Kenya) to global markets
- West Africa: Active from Lagos (Nigeria) & Tema (Ghana) and ships to European, American, and Asian markets
- South Africa: Operates in Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, connecting South Africa to global trade networks.
- North Africa: Operates from Alexandria (Egypt) to global markets.
- Challenges: infrastructural bottlenecks in some African countries, economic and market volatility, and political instability in some regions
Ocean Network Express (ONE) is a top container shipping company with a significant African presence. Established in 2017 through the merger of three major Japanese shipping lines—NYK Line, MOL, and “K” Line—ONE brings decades of expertise and innovation to its operations. In Africa, ONE connects key markets across the continent with global trade hubs in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The company provides comprehensive container shipping services, including specialized solutions for perishable goods, oversized cargo, and dangerous goods.
Grindrod Shipping
- Headquarters: Durban, South Africa
- Services:
- Chartering: Offers vessels on both spot and time-charter bases.
- Logistics Support: Provides integrated logistics solutions for cargo movement.
- Specialized Routes: Focused on regional and global trade routes, including Africa-Asia and Africa-Europe.
- Key Markets:
- South Africa: Durban, Cape Town, Richards Bay.
- Mozambique: Maputo, Beira.
- West Africa: Lagos (Nigeria), Tema (Ghana).
- East Africa: Mombasa (Kenya).
- Challenges: infrastructural bottlenecks in some African countries and market volatility.
Ocean Network Express (ONE) is a top container shipping company with a significant African presence. Established in 2017 through the merger of three major Japanese shipping lines—NYK Line, MOL, and “K” Line—ONE brings decades of expertise and innovation to its operations. In Africa, ONE connects key markets across the continent with global trade hubs in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The company provides comprehensive container shipping services, including specialized solutions for perishable goods, oversized cargo, and dangerous goods.
Notable Mentions
- Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation
