How much does it cost to ship a container to or from Africa?

Exporting to Africa:

Valencia - Dakar

From 1,975 $

Madrid - Dakar

From 1,975 $

Barcelona - Dakar

From 1,976 $

NEW YORK - Dakar

From 2,544 $

Miami - Dakar

From 2,544 $

Houston - Dakar

From 3,052 $

Shipping containers to Africa

Shipping a container to Africa can be complicated and confusing. With iContainers, ocean freight was never so transparent. Send full (FCL) or shared (LCL or also known as groupage) containers with the most competitive rates offered by our online quote generator in less than 15 seconds. Using our online platform you can book and track your container without any middlemen.

The routes that transport the most goods to Africa by sea are as follows (in TEUs):

Top trade routes from / to Africa (TEU shipped) 2013
Route West Bound East Bound North Bound South Bound TOTAL
Asia - Mediterranean 4,678,000 2,061,000 - - 6,739,000
Asia - Middle East 3,700,000 1,314,000 - - 5,014,000
North Europe/Mediterranean-East Coast South America - - 795,000 885,000 1,680,000

Source: Trade Routes - World Shipping Council

A large number of shipping lines operate on the shipping routes that go to Africa. Here is a breakdown of the number of services currently available:

ROUTE SERVICES
Far East - Mediterranean 31
Mediterranean - North America 21
Europe - Mid- East/ South Asia 40
North America - Mid-East/South Asia 10
Far East - Mid-East/South Asia 72
South Africa 24
West Africa 60
TOTAL 258

Note:Some services might have been counted for more than one route.

Source:Drewry Container Forecaster Q1 & Q2 2013

With our online platform you can access the best prices, in less than 15 seconds, for sending a container to Africa without having to contact shipping lines individually.

Which African ports are specialised in containers?

Of the 100 most important ports for handling containers, 4 are located in Africa:

AFRICAN PORT RANKINGS - CONTAINER TRAFFIC - 2014
PUESTO MUNDIAL PUERTO PAÍS TEUs
42 Tanger Morocco 3354
47 East Port Said Port Egypt 3036
55 Durban South Africa 2664
89 Alexandria and El-Dekheila Egypt 1520

Source: Top 100 ports in the world 2014 - World Shipping Council

Necessary documentation for sending containers to Africa

In this article, we outline what you must do in order to send a container to Africa. For further peace of mind, get in touch with the embassy of the country to which you are thinking of exporting to or contact one of our exportation advisers.

Do not forget that one of the most important formalities is choosing the Incoterm that you would like to apply to your shipment.

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Klaus Lydsal

"Customs duties play an important role in your international shipment. How they're determined and calculated varies from country to country"

Klaus Lydsal, vice president of operations at iContainers