16th January 2026
Major upgrades to Africa’s ports and regional transport corridors are driving efforts to resolve long-standing trade bottlenecks, with governments and private investors aiming to enhance intra-African commerce and strengthen the continent’s role in global supply chains. Across West, East, and Southern Africa, infrastructure projects—including new deep-sea ports, rail lines, and cross-border highways—are transforming the movement of goods, reducing congestion, and enabling faster cargo handling.
In West Africa, Nigeria’s $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port is easing congestion at Lagos Port, allowing larger vessels and faster trade flows, while Ghana’s expanded Port of Tema is improving customs efficiency and serving landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. East Africa’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is reshaping logistics between Kenya and Uganda, with the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor providing alternative trade routes. Ethiopia is upgrading the Djibouti corridor with digital customs systems to reduce transport costs. In Southern Africa, South Africa is rehabilitating its freight rail network and upgrading the Port of Durban, while Mozambique’s Port of Nacala and Namibia’s Walvis Bay Port are improving regional connectivity and access to international markets.
Economists note that these projects could significantly lower Africa’s historically high logistics costs and enhance competitiveness, but benefits will rely on policy coordination, border efficiency, and infrastructure maintenance. As the AfCFTA develops, these upgraded ports and corridors are expected to be central in unlocking Africa’s trade potential.