At a Glance
- Major dry ports strengthen Africa’s trade corridors through expanded terminals and upgraded multimodal links.
- Inland hubs boost container capacity, reduce congestion and improve freight movement across regional markets.
- Strategic investments in rail, dredging and yard automation elevate port efficiency and competitiveness.
Africa’s largest dry ports are reshaping the continent’s trade system, driving faster cargo movement, stronger inland logistics, and more reliable regional supply chains.
As container traffic surges and manufacturers expand exports, these dry ports have become critical extensions of Africa’s biggest seaports, linking rail, road and inland terminals across East, West, North and Southern Africa.
From Durban and Mombasa to Lagos, Djibouti and Abidjan, these multimodal hubs now anchor Africa’s most important trade corridors, boosting TEU capacity, reducing congestion, and strengthening the competitiveness of landlocked economies.
West Africa’s principal ports, Lagos, Abidjan and Tema, are racing to decongest and add inland depots to capture regional transit. Strategic investments, terminal expansions, yard automation and rail upgrades are lifting TEU ceilings, but chronic road bottlenecks and customs friction still shave days off supply chains.
The following concise profiles flag capacity, key routes and the infrastructure moves that make these ten ports continental powerhouses as profiled by Shore Africa.
1. City Deep ICD — Johannesburg, South Africa
City Deep ICD is Africa’s largest inland port and a critical logistics hub linking Johannesburg to global trade routes. Operating as the continent’s primary dry port, it handles high-volume container traffic and multimodal freight. Its strategic position strengthens South Africa’s supply-chain efficiency, supporting mining exports, manufacturing flows and regional commerce.
2. Ouagadougou Dry Port (BFOUA)
Burkina Faso just developed a massive $253 million Wagadugu (Ouagadougou) Multimodal Dry Port, a strategic infrastructure project set to create its own trade gateway, integrating rail, road, and air, using AI for customs, and boosting regional connectivity with links to the Tema port (Ghana) and Morocco for global access, serving as a defiance against isolation and a hub for logistics and job creation.
3. Modjo Dry Port — Ethiopia’s Trade Nerve Centre
Modjo Dry Port is Ethiopia’s largest logistics hub, handling more than 78 percent of the national import traffic. Strategically linked to the Ethio–Djibouti Railway, it anchors the country’s inland freight system, cuts transit times, and supports Ethiopia’s industrial zones. The port is central to ongoing modernization and logistics-efficiency reforms.
4. Mombasa Dry Port / Inland Container Depot (ICD-E)
The Mombasa Dry Port serves as a strategic extension of the Port of Mombasa, easing congestion and accelerating cargo clearance for East Africa. Positioned as a logistics lifeline for landlocked nations—including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan—it supports transit trade, customs processing and seamless regional freight movement through the Northern Corridor.
5. Dala Inland Dry Port, Kano — Northern Nigeria’s Trade Powerhouse
The Dala Inland Dry Port stands as Northern Nigeria’s largest logistics hub, with an estimated 20,000-TEU handling capacity designed to ease pressure on Lagos ports. Strategically located to channel import–export flows for the Sahel and northern corridor, it is accelerating regional trade, lowering haulage costs and attracting growing commercial traffic.
6. Port of Cape Town (South Africa)
Cape Town is a major Cape-route hub, combining container and multi-cargo terminals. Phased terminal upgrades plan to push installed TEU capacity higher, improving South Africa’s western corridor handling and cold-chain capabilities.
7. Port of Alexandria (Egypt)
Alexandria serves Mediterranean trade and Egypt’s domestic market; its blended role of trans-shipment and export hub benefits the Suez-adjacent trade lanes and internal distribution via rail and road to Upper Egypt.
8. Port of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
Abidjan has expanded container terminals and is investing in inland logistics hubs to serve landlocked Sahel markets. New terminal capacity has lifted its competitiveness and regional throughput projections.
9. Port of Tema (Ghana)
Tema handles Ghana’s containerised trade and is integrating inland depots and rail upgrades to speed exports (notably cocoa and manufactured goods) to the coast, while private investment targets yard expansion
10. Port of Beira (Mozambique)
Beira is pivotal for central Mozambican exports and corridor traffic from Malawi and Zimbabwe. Investments focus on dredging, terminal modernisation and rail links to stabilise throughput for bulk and container flows.
