he ports of Southern Africa—Durban, Walvis Bay, Maputo, Beira, and Dar es Salaam—are critical nodes in the region’s logistics ecosystem. As intra-African trade grows under the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area), ports are under pressure to scale capacity, streamline customs, and digitize operations.
Durban remains the busiest container port in sub-Saharan Africa but faces chronic congestion. Walvis Bay is positioning itself as a logistics hub for landlocked countries like Zambia, Botswana, and the DRC, boasting the new Namibia Logistics Hub. Maputo is leveraging private investment to modernize its cargo handling and rail connections to South Africa’s Mpumalanga province.
But bottlenecks persist. Customs clearance delays, inconsistent documentation processes, and limited cold chain infrastructure pose risks—especially for perishable goods. Enhanced port logistics, smarter scheduling, and integrated regional platforms could drastically improve flow and reduce costs for importers and exporters alike.
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Insights May 13, 2025
Cross-Border Trucking
truck freight dominates Southern Africa’s logistics, carrying up to 80% of regional goods traffic. Popular corridors include Durban–Lusaka, Beira–Harare, and Walvis Bay–Gaborone. But truckers face serious challenges: roadblocks, bribery, border delays, and poor infrastructure. For instance, Beitbridge Border Post, between South Africa and Zimbabwe, is infamous for multi-day waits. However, modernization efforts through the Zimborders […]