Seaports have always played a vital role for Africa and its regional economies. Colonisers built railways to transport goods and raw materials from deep within the continent directly to the ports, which made trading with other continents more profitable. This logic continues to influence the development of Africa’s infrastructure to this day, though now the continent is using it for its own benefit.
Today, a growing volume of cargo is travelling along Africa’s coastlines due to conflicts in the Red Sea and threats to shipping in the Suez Canal. This has significantly increased demand for local ports. Many of them are also developing thanks to new gas fields and large-scale road projects.
What goals has Africa set for developing maritime trade? And what role do new partners like Russia, Turkey, and China play in this process?
