Next Africa

Shipping Revival Comes With a Catch for Big African Ports

The vessels that do stop are choosing smaller, more nimble harbors.
A crane moves containers on a dock at the Port of Cape Town in May 2024.Photographer: Photographer: Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg

Welcome to Next Africa, a daily newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. In today’s edition, we look at why the continent’s main ports aren’t benefiting from rerouted shipping lines. And:

Africa is back on the map of global shipping — just not in the way it might have hoped.