DP World continues to expand its presence across Africa through an integrated strategy aimed at facilitating trade movement and connecting local markets with global ports. The group is relying on broad investments in infrastructure, logistics services, digital solutions, and trade finance to support more efficient and reliable trade across the continent.

According to DP World’s report, “Beyond Boundaries: Accelerating Africa’s Trade with the World,” the group operates in 50 markets across Africa, employs around 30,000 people, manages more than 200 warehousing facilities, and runs a logistics fleet of over 7,000 vehicles. This wide network strengthens its ability to support the flow of goods between inland markets and international gateways.

A Wide Presence Supporting African Trade

DP World’s expansion in Africa is built on the development of ports, roads, railways, and trade facilitation frameworks, along with investment in workforce skills. The group is also combining its logistics experience with digital tools and trade finance solutions to reduce the cost of doing business and improve market access for companies.

This approach reflects the group’s aim to build a more connected trade ecosystem, one that goes beyond port operations and includes warehousing, inland transport, economic zones, and supply chain services.

Three Main Pillars of the Strategy

DP World’s strategy in Africa focuses on three connected pillars: facilitating imports, supporting exports, and strengthening local trade.

On the import side, the group works to simplify customs procedures and provide useful market information that helps companies make better decisions. This helps reduce operational risks for new businesses, improves supply chain reliability, and supports the steady availability of goods in local markets.

In exports, DP World supports the creation of free zones and economic zones that allow African companies to process and package their products before sending them abroad. This helps improve the competitiveness of African products and opens wider opportunities for them in regional and global markets.

For local trade, DP World invests in transport networks and inland logistics services to speed up the movement of goods and lower costs. The group is also focusing on important sectors such as automotive, in addition to trade finance and digital transformation.

Logistics Solutions for Agricultural Products

In Morocco, DP World’s role is clear in supporting agricultural supply chains, especially as exporters face challenges when moving goods by road to northern Europe through Spain and France. This route can be costly and produces higher emissions.

To address these challenges, the group launched a short-sea shipping route linking the Port of Agadir with London Gateway, with a transit time of around four days. The service also offers an optional stop at the Port of Antwerp, giving exporters access to additional European markets such as France and Germany. This provides a more efficient route for agricultural products that require fast delivery and careful handling.

Major Investments in African Ports

Infrastructure projects are a key part of DP World’s plans in Africa. In Tanzania, the group has invested more than $250 million in developing the Port of Dar es Salaam, strengthening its role in serving regional trade.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, DP World is working on the development of the country’s first deep-water port in Banana. The project is expected to help reduce the cost and time of trade while improving the country’s access to international markets.

The group is also developing the Port of Ndayane in Senegal, with an investment of $1.2 billion. The project aims to support Senegal’s position as a regional trade hub in West Africa.

In Mozambique, DP World is expanding the container terminal at the Port of Maputo with an investment of $165 million. The expansion will raise capacity from 255,000 containers a year to 530,000 containers. It will also increase refrigerated container capacity to more than 700 points, supporting the movement of temperature-sensitive goods, especially agricultural and food products.

The Maputo Corridor and Inland Market Connections

DP World’s expansion in Mozambique also supports the operation of a dry port in Komatipoort, South Africa. This facility provides multimodal services and warehousing, helping move goods between the Port of Maputo and inland markets in South Africa through the Maputo trade corridor.

The group has also launched a dedicated rail service linking Maputo with Harare. This improves trade efficiency between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, reduces transport time, and supports smoother cargo movement between the two countries.

Growing Focus on the Automotive Sector

DP World is giving increasing attention to Africa’s automotive sector through an integrated service that combines logistics solutions with market-entry support. The service targets original equipment manufacturers operating in sub-Saharan Africa.

It helps address the challenges of entering new markets by simplifying the movement of spare parts and combining compliance services and dealer support into one solution. This gives companies better ability to expand across the region.

Economic Zones at the Heart of the Strategy

Integrated economic zones are an important part of DP World’s strategy, as they support manufacturing and help reduce the cost of doing business. One clear example is the DP World Economic Zone in Berbera, located near the Port of Berbera in the Horn of Africa.

The zone offers tax and non-tax incentives, simplified registration and licensing through a one-stop system, and modern infrastructure that includes offices, warehouses, and ready-to-use land plots. This makes it a suitable platform for companies looking to grow in the region.

Kigali Logistics Platform

In Rwanda, DP World has invested in the Kigali Logistics Platform, the first inland dry port in East Africa. The platform has been operating under a 35-year concession since 2019 and includes an inland container terminal with a capacity of around 50,000 TEUs per year, along with container yards, bonded warehouses, and advanced cold-chain infrastructure.

Since its launch, the platform has helped reduce truck waiting times from between 10 and 14 days to around three days. It is also expected to generate annual logistics savings of up to $50 million for Rwandan businesses.

The platform is located along the Northern and Central corridors, linking Rwanda with the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. It also supports trade with nearby markets, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Burundi.

A Role That Goes Beyond Port Operations

DP World’s investments in Africa show that the group’s role is not limited to managing ports. It extends to building a full trade ecosystem that includes transport, logistics services, economic zones, finance, and digital solutions.

Through these efforts, the group is helping African countries strengthen their integration into global trade, while also supporting the movement of goods within the continent and beyond. This opens wider opportunities for local and regional companies to take part in international supply chains.