The German shipowner Hapag-Lloyd plans to increase its annual containerized cargo volumes in Africa to 1.7 million TEUs by 2030. This ambition comes after crossing the threshold of one million TEUs in 2026 and builds on the extension of its port and land network on the continent.
The goal was announced on 4 November 2026 by Jesper Kanstrup, Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd for the Africa region, on the occasion of the group's 20 years of presence in South Africa.
According to the manager, the continent is one of the shipowners' growth markets, which intends to adapt its capacity and network to changing demand. Located in 27 African countries, the group serves several maritime facades and also connects some landlocked countries to its services through land connections.
This strategy is accompanied by investments in port infrastructure. In September 2026, Hapag-Lloyd entered into a partnership with DP World to secure priority docking windows and long-term storage spaces in the terminals of Dakar, Luanda and Dar es Salaam.
The agreement also provides for support for the development of port infrastructure in Banana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Maputo, Mozambique. By 2024, the shipowner had already created a direction dedicated to his African activities, Sub-Region Africa, to coordinate his development on the continent.
One factor contributing to this expansion is increased trade with Asia. According to Mordor Intelligence, the containerized freight market in sub-Saharan Africa could increase from $7.46 billion in 2025 to $9.79 billion in 2030, an average annual growth estimated at 5.5 per cent.
The disruptions of the Red Sea shipping routes have also altered the routes of several shipowners, with some vessels diverted to the Cape of Good Hope. This has increased the importance of some ports in Southern and Eastern Africa in international maritime networks.
Present in Africa since 2006, Hapag-Lloyd has gradually expanded its establishment through the development of its lines and several acquisitions. The acquisition of NileDutch in 2021 notably strengthened its operations in West and Central Africa, while the acquisition of Deutsche Afrika-Linien's containerized activities in 2022 consolidated its links with Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.
The achievement of the 1.7 million TEU target will now depend on the actual increase in trade, access to port capacity and the reliability of land connections in different African markets.
