{UAH} African ports race to be regional logistics hubs, as wave of new investments looks set to drive growth | MG Africa Mobile

ON a continent where nearly 90% of international trade happens by sea, several African ports are in the race to be their respective regional shipping hubs - and for one ambitious city – Kigali – the ambition to be a logistics hub isn't the preserve of coastal ports.

The race is on

Meanwhile, the race to be East Africa's gateway is on between Kenya and Tanzania. Kenya is looking to upgrade Mombasa port and improve efficiency; last year Mombasa processed 1 million containers (or TEUs; twenty-foot equivalent units are the industry standard) in a year for the first time. There is also a planned brand new port at Lamu, which, it is hoped, will serve the oil fields as far as Uganda and South Sudan.

But Tanzania is firmly in the race too, with construction of a new port at Bagamoyo, north of Dar es Salaam, having broken ground in October. Tanzania says will be the biggest port in East Africa; it is hoped the new facility will handle double the capacity of the one in Dar es Salaam.

http://m.mgafrica.com/article/2016-03-28-african-ports-scramble-to-be-regional-logistics-hubs

Sincerely,

Brian M. Kwesiga