Africa Upgrades Key Corridors As Ports Expansion Reshapes Regional Trade

Major upgrades to Africa’s ports and regional transport corridors are accelerating efforts to ease long-standing trade bottlenecks, with governments and private investors betting that improved logistics will boost intra-African commerce and strengthen the continent’s position in global supply chains.

From West to East and Southern Africa, a wave of infrastructure projects, including new deep-sea ports, rail lines, and cross-border highways, is transforming the movement of goods across the continent. Analysts say the developments could be pivotal for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which depends heavily on efficient transport networks to reduce costs and integrate markets.

In West Africa, the $1.5 billion Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria has begun to alleviate congestion at Lagos ports, enabling the passage of larger vessels and facilitating faster cargo handling. Operators say the port recorded increased container traffic in recent months as regional exporters shift routes. “Our goal is to make Nigeria a preferred entry and exit point for West African trade,” an official at Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise said recently.

Ghana is also upgrading the Port of Tema, which has emerged as a major transit hub for landlocked countries, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The expansion, backed by private-sector financing, has reduced cargo dwell time and improved customs efficiency. A senior official at Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority said the upgrades are “positioning the country for a bigger share of regional trade flows.”

Across East Africa, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) continues to reshape logistics between Kenya and Uganda, although funding constraints have slowed expansion plans to Rwanda and South Sudan. Kenya is also investing in the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor, which aims to offer alternative trade routes and reduce congestion around Mombasa. “The region must diversify its gateways to stay competitive,” a logistics analyst in Nairobi noted.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, is banking on the soon-to-be-upgraded Djibouti port corridor, its main maritime lifeline, to handle rising volumes of manufactured exports. Plans to introduce digital customs platforms along the corridor are expected to cut delays that have historically raised transport costs.

Southern Africa is also witnessing significant movement. South Africa is working to rehabilitate its freight rail network and upgrade the Port of Durban, following years of inefficiencies that disrupted the export of minerals and agricultural products. “If South Africa fixes its logistics, it will have a transformative impact on the region’s trade,” said a researcher at the Centre for Development and Enterprise, Alvin Matalele.

Neighbouring Mozambique is expanding the Port of Nacala, which has become increasingly crucial for the shipment of agricultural goods, coal, and manufactured products destined for Asian markets. Similarly, Namibia’s Walvis Bay Port, now linked to Zambia, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Walvis Bay Corridor, is attracting more cargo movement as traders seek shorter routes to the Atlantic.

Economists say the new trade corridors could reduce logistics costs, which are currently among the highest in the world and have long hindered African competitiveness. However, they warn that gains will depend heavily on policy coordination, border efficiency, and maintenance of infrastructure.

An economic consultant with TradeMark Africa, David Lemuel, said, “Africa can build all the infrastructure it wants, but without harmonised transactions and smooth border processes, the benefits will be limited. Still, these projects signal that the continent is finally recognising itself as the backbone of trade.”

As the AfCFTA gradually takes shape, improved ports and corridors are expected to play a central role in unlocking Africa’s long-awaited trade potential.