Activity

Based on available information, the Port of Tanger Med in Morocco is often cited as the busiest port in Africa in terms of container traffic and overall throughput in recent years.
Here’s a summary of why:
* Container Traffic: Tanger Med consistently ranks as the top African port for container handling. Its annual handling capacity is around 9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). In 2022, it handled 7.5 million TEUs, showing a 6% increase from the previous year.
* Strategic Location: It’s strategically located on the Strait of Gibraltar, a crucial global shipping route, making it a major transshipment hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It serves as a key link for trade between Europe and West Africa and facilitates trade between Asia and Europe via its connection to about 40 other African ports.
* Overall Throughput: In 2022, the port’s total throughput reached 107.8 million tonnes.
* Global Ranking: Tanger Med has a high global ranking in terms of port efficiency, often placing among the top 50 worldwide.
While the Port of Durban in South Africa is also a major and busy port, especially for Southern Africa’s trade, Tanger Med has surpassed it in terms of container volume and overall activity in recent years. Durban handles a significant amount of cargo and is crucial for South Africa’s economy, generating a large portion of its trade revenue.
Other significant and busy ports in Africa include:
* Port Said (Egypt): A major port located at the northern entrance of the Suez Canal.
* Port of Mombasa (Kenya): A crucial gateway to East Africa.
* Lomé (Togo) and Tema (Ghana): Important hubs in West Africa, particularly for transshipment.
It’s important to consider different metrics (container traffic, total cargo volume, efficiency) when assessing a port’s “busyness.” However, based on the most recent data, Tanger Med appears to be the most active overall.

Video courtesy of ABN-AMRO

Video courtesy of ABN-AMRO