90% of Africa’s trade travels by sea. While airports get the glamour, seaports do the heavy lifting. They are the gritty, diesel-scented engines of the continent’s economy. If you stood on the quayside of these maritime giants, you wouldn’t just see containers; you would see the raw materials of the future—cocoa leaving Abidjan, copper arriving in Dar es Salaam, and millions of cars rolling off the ramps in Durban.
For logistics pros, investors, and curious travelers, understanding these hubs is key to understanding Africa in 2025. Based on the latest TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) volumes, capacity, and infrastructure scale, here are the Top 10 Biggest Seaports in Africa.
1. Tanger Med – Morocco
The Title: The Mediterranean Monster
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Annual Volume: ~10+ Million TEUs
Tanger Med is not just the biggest port in Africa; it is a global anomaly. Located on the Strait of Gibraltar, barely 14km from Europe, it has exploded in size to rank among the top 20 ports in the world. It is the primary transshipment hub for Maersk and CMA CGM, connecting Africa to the rest of the planet.
The Atmosphere:
Futuristic and colossal. Unlike the chaotic city ports of old, Tanger Med feels like a machine. It is a vast expanse of automated cranes and orderly container stacks stretching as far as the eye can see. The efficiency here rivals Rotterdam or Singapore.
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Key Stat: It handles more containers than the next three biggest African ports combined.
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Insider Insight: This isn’t just a port; it’s an industrial zone. Renault and Peugeot have massive factories nearby, meaning many of the cars driving in Europe started their journey here.
2. Port Said (East & West) – Egypt
The Title: The Suez Anchor
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Annual Volume: ~4 – 5 Million TEUs
Guarding the northern entrance of the Suez Canal, Port Said is history and commerce wrapped in one. It is a dual-port complex (East and West) that serves as a critical pitstop for the massive motherships traversing the canal between Asia and Europe.
The Operational Pulse:
relentless. The port never sleeps because the canal never sleeps. You will see ships of unimaginable size—the “Ultra Large Container Vessels”—idling here. The West Port has a colonial, dusty charm, while the East Port is a modern logistics fortress.
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Key Stat: consistently ranks as one of the most efficient ports in Africa according to the World Bank’s performance index.
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Insider Insight: Efficiency here fluctuates with the geopolitics of the Red Sea. When the canal is busy, Port Said is a beehive; when global shipping slows, the silence is heavy.
3. Port of Durban – South Africa
The Title: The Industrial Heart of the South
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Annual Volume: ~2.8 – 3 Million TEUs
Durban is the busiest port in sub-Saharan Africa and the primary gateway for South Africa’s manufacturing belt. If you buy a Toyota or BMW in Europe, there’s a good chance it was shipped from here.
The Scene:
Gritty, humid, and loud. Durban Harbor is set in a natural lagoon, surrounded by the city. The air smells of sugar (from the nearby terminals) and heavy fuel oil. While it is famous for its massive volume, it is equally famous for its “wind-bound” delays and truck congestion.
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Key Stat: It handles 60% of South Africa’s total shipping revenue.[1][5]
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Insider Insight: The “Maydon Wharf” section is where the real grit happens—bulk cargo, scrap metal, and timber. Avoid the Bayhead Road trucking route during peak hours unless you want to be stuck for half a day.
4. Port of Lomé – Togo
The Title: The West African Transshipment King
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Annual Volume: ~2.2 Million TEUs
Ten years ago, Lomé was a minor player. Today, it is a giant. Thanks to massive investment from MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company), it is the only deep-water port in West Africa capable of docking the world’s largest container ships without lightening (offloading to smaller boats first).
The Atmosphere:
Deep and serious. Lomé doesn’t have the chaos of Lagos or the sprawl of Durban. It is a focused transshipment hub. The “Lomé Container Terminal” (LCT) is a fortress of stacks where goods are dropped off for transport to shallower ports in the region.
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Key Stat: It is the leading port in West Africa for transit cargo bound for landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger.
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Insider Insight: Because it’s a Free Trade Zone, the customs bureaucracy here is surprisingly faster than its neighbors.
5. Port of Alexandria / El Dekheila – Egypt
The Title: The Historic Gateway
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Annual Volume: ~2 Million TEUs
Handling over 70% of Egypt’s foreign trade, Alexandria is the “Old Guard.” The port is actually two harbors separated by a peninsula. It is currently undergoing a massive multi-billion dollar “Tahya Misr” upgrade to modernize its aging infrastructure.
The Scene:
Chaotic energy. Alexandria is a port embedded in a dense city. Trucks, cranes, and historical buildings jostle for space. It feels ancient yet frantically busy, handling everything from grain silos to luxury cars.
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Key Stat: The “Great Egyptian Museum” station is transforming logistics here, aiming to link the port directly to high-speed rail.
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Insider Insight: The “El Dekheila” extension is where the modern heavy lifting happens; the old Alexandria port is more focused on general cargo and passengers.
6. Port of Tema – Ghana
The Title: The Modern Standard
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Annual Volume: ~1.2 – 1.5 Million TEUs
Tema is the pride of Ghana. After a $1.5 billion expansion by APM Terminals and Bolloré, it now boasts some of the best ship-to-shore cranes in West Africa. It is the maritime hub for the “Cocoa Coast.”
The Atmosphere:
Clean and ambitious. The new Terminal 3 looks like it belongs in Dubai. It is surprisingly organized compared to regional competitors. The roar of the Atlantic Ocean against the new breakwater is the background track to a very efficient operation.
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Key Stat: It has the capacity to handle 2.5 million TEUs, meaning it is built for future growth.
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Insider Insight: Tema is the preferred entry point for goods heading to Accra. The motorway connecting the port to the capital is vital—and often jam-packed.
7. Lekki Deep Sea Port – Nigeria
The Title: The Game Changer
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Capacity: 2.5 Million TEUs (Ramping up fast)
While the old Apapa and Tin Can Island ports in Lagos are famous for their gridlock, the newly commissioned Lekki Deep Sea Port is the future. It is Nigeria’s first deep-water port, designed to recapture transshipment traffic lost to Togo and Benin.
The Scene:
Brand new and imposing. Located in the Lagos Free Zone, it features massive Super Post-Panamax cranes that tower over the coastline. It feels sterile and high-tech compared to the rusty hustle of old Lagos ports.
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Key Stat: It has a draft of 16.5 meters, allowing it to berth vessels four times larger than Apapa can handle.
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Insider Insight: The road network connecting Lekki to the hinterland is still catching up. Barges are currently the smartest way to move cargo out of the port to avoid road traffic.
8. Port of Mombasa – Kenya
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The Title: The Safari Gateway
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Annual Volume: ~1.6 Million TEUs
Mombasa is the lifeline for East Africa. It feeds Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the DRC. It is a port of colonial history layered with modern Chinese infrastructure investment.
The Atmosphere:
Tropical and intense. The heat is heavy, and the air smells of salty Indian Ocean breeze mixed with diesel. The “Kilindini Harbour” (Place of Deep Waters) is a stunning natural inlet, but the gates are a choke point of thousands of trucks waiting to clear customs.
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Key Stat: It manages over 34 million tons of cargo annually.
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Insider Insight: The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) now moves containers directly from the quayside to Nairobi, bypassing the notorious Mombasa road traffic.
9. Port of Abidjan – Ivory Coast
The Title: The Cocoa Capital
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Annual Volume: ~1 Million TEUs (Capacity: 2.5M)
Abidjan is the economic lung of Francophone West Africa. It is a transshipment hub and, crucially, the world’s biggest exporter of cocoa beans. If you eat chocolate, it likely passed through these docks.
The Operational Pulse:
Aromatic and bustling. During the cocoa harvest season, the activity is feverish. The recent opening of a second container terminal (TC2) has modernized operations significantly, allowing larger ships to dock.
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Key Stat: It handles 50% of the Ivory Coast’s industrial activity.
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Insider Insight: Traffic around the Vridi Canal (the port entrance) is legendary. Plan your logistics meetings in the city center with a buffer of two hours.
10. Port of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania
The Title: The Challenger
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Annual Volume: ~800,000 – 900,000 TEUs (Volume varies by bulk weight)
Dar es Salaam is in a fierce rivalry with Mombasa to be the gateway to East Africa.[5] It is currently the preferred route for copper exports from Zambia and the DRC.
The Scene:
Urban and expanding.[9] The port is literally in the downtown area, meaning the city’s skyline looms over the cranes. It has historically struggled with congestion (ships waiting weeks to dock), but aggressive modernization is cutting those wait times down.
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Key Stat: It handles 95% of Tanzania’s international trade.
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Insider Insight: The “Central Corridor” rail link is the ace up its sleeve. As the railway improves, Dar takes more market share from Mombasa.
Final Thoughts: The Battle for Efficiency
The ranking of African ports is no longer just about size; it’s about speed. The old giants like Durban and Apapa are being challenged by modern, automated terminals like Tanger Med, Lomé, and Lekki.
For the savvy trader in 2025, the question isn’t just “Which port is biggest?” but “Which port will get my goods out the fastest?”
Which of these maritime giants have you shipped through? Share your experiences with customs and congestion in the comments below!
