Trade lane
Shipping from the UAE to Africa
Dubai has been Africa's re-export hub for thirty years. Goods from Asia arrive, are split between buyers across the continent and leave again — which is why a trader in Kampala can buy a pallet, not a container, and still get Chinese factory pricing.
- Sea 12–28 days
- Air 1–4 days
- RoRo and container vehicles
Routes and transit times from Jebel Ali
| Destination | Sea FCL | Air | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mombasa, Kenya | 12–18 days | 1–3 days | Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, eastern DRC |
| Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | 14–20 days | 2–4 days | Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi, Malawi, DRC |
| Djibouti | 7–12 days | 1–3 days | Ethiopia and the Horn |
| Port Sudan, Sudan | 8–14 days | 2–4 days | Sudan and onward |
| Lagos / Apapa, Nigeria | 20–28 days | 2–4 days | Nigeria and the West African interior |
| Tema, Ghana | 22–30 days | 2–4 days | Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali |
| Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 22–30 days | 3–5 days | Francophone West Africa |
| Cotonou, Benin | 22–30 days | 3–5 days | Benin, Niger, northern Nigeria |
| Durban, South Africa | 18–25 days | 2–4 days | South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana |
| Alexandria / Damietta, Egypt | 7–14 days | 1–3 days | Egypt and North Africa |
All 54 African countries we ship to from Dubai
Sea freight to the ports below and onward by road to landlocked destinations; air freight to every capital with a cargo terminal.
| Region | Countries we ship to |
|---|---|
| North Africa (6) | Algeria · Egypt · Libya · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia |
| West Africa (16) | Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo |
| Central Africa (9) | Angola · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · DR Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · São Tomé and Príncipe |
| East Africa (18) | Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rwanda · Seychelles · Somalia · South Sudan · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe |
| Southern Africa (5) | Botswana · Eswatini · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa |
Landlocked countries are served through the nearest gateway port — Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Lagos, Tema, Durban or Beira. Ask for your route and we price it door to door.
Shipping from Dubai to each African country
Gateway port, indicative sea transit from Jebel Ali and how each destination is actually served. Air freight is available to every country with a cargo terminal, in 1–5 days.
| Country | Gateway port | Sea transit | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Algiers / Oran | 18–26 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Egypt | Alexandria / Damietta | 7–14 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Libya | Misrata / Benghazi | 14–22 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Morocco | Casablanca / Tanger Med | 18–26 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Sudan | Port Sudan | 8–14 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Tunisia | Rades | 16–24 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Benin | Cotonou | 22–30 | Strong RoRo lane — the usual route for vehicles. |
| Burkina Faso | via Tema / Lome | 26–36 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Cape Verde | Praia | 28–38 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Abidjan | 22–30 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Gambia | Banjul | 26–34 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Ghana | Tema | 22–30 | Strong RoRo lane — the usual route for vehicles. |
| Guinea | Conakry | 24–32 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | 28–38 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Liberia | Monrovia | 24–34 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Mali | via Abidjan / Dakar | 28–38 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Mauritania | Nouakchott | 26–34 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Niger | via Cotonou / Lome | 28–38 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Nigeria | Lagos / Apapa, Onne | 20–28 | SONCAP certificate required before shipping — we arrange it. |
| Senegal | Dakar | 24–32 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown | 26–34 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Togo | Lome | 22–30 | Strong RoRo lane — the usual route for vehicles. |
| Angola | Luanda | 26–36 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Cameroon | Douala | 24–32 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Central African Republic | via Douala | 32–44 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Chad | via Douala | 32–44 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| DR Congo | Matadi / via Dar es Salaam | 24–36 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Equatorial Guinea | Malabo / Bata | 28–38 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Gabon | Libreville / Owendo | 26–36 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Republic of the Congo | Pointe-Noire | 26–36 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé | 30–40 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Burundi | via Dar es Salaam | 22–32 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Comoros | Moroni | 20–30 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Djibouti | Djibouti | 7–12 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Eritrea | Massawa | 10–16 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Ethiopia | via Djibouti | 12–20 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Kenya | Mombasa | 12–18 | PVoC certificate required before shipping — we arrange it. |
| Madagascar | Toamasina | 20–30 | Served through transhipment; LCL consolidation recommended. |
| Malawi | via Beira / Dar es Salaam | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Mauritius | Port Louis | 16–26 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Mozambique | Beira / Maputo | 20–30 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Rwanda | via Mombasa / Dar es Salaam | 20–30 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Seychelles | Victoria | 14–22 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| Somalia | Mogadishu / Berbera | 8–16 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| South Sudan | via Mombasa | 22–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam | 14–20 | PVoC certificate required before shipping — we arrange it. |
| Uganda | via Mombasa | 18–28 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Zambia | via Dar es Salaam / Beira | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Zimbabwe | via Beira / Durban | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Botswana | via Durban | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Eswatini | via Durban | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Lesotho | via Durban | 24–34 | Landlocked — sea to the gateway port, then road. |
| Namibia | Walvis Bay | 22–32 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
| South Africa | Durban / Cape Town | 18–25 | Direct and transhipment sailings; containers, LCL and RoRo. |
Transit times are indicative and move with sailing schedules and port congestion. Send the destination city and we price it door to door.
What moves on this lane
General trade goods
Electronics, textiles, spare parts, household goods, building materials and FMCG, in FCL and LCL.
Vehicles
The single largest category. Cars, pickups, buses, trucks and machinery by RoRo and container. See car shipping.
Machinery and equipment
Construction, agricultural, mining and industrial equipment, often used and bought at UAE auctions.
Consolidated part loads
Several traders sharing a container is the normal way this lane works. From 1 CBM.
Air freight
Pharma, electronics, high-value goods and anything urgent, with strong frequency to Nairobi, Lagos, Addis Ababa and Johannesburg.
Pre-payment checks
Inspection and supplier verification before money moves — this lane has the highest incidence of disputes we see.
What goes wrong on the Africa lane, and how to avoid it
Three things account for most of the losses we are asked to help with. First, paying a Dubai "supplier" who turns out to be an intermediary with no goods and no licence — a verification check would have cost a fraction of a percent of the order. Second, port charges and demurrage at destination, which on congested West African ports can exceed the freight itself if the consignee is not ready with documents and funds. Third, pre-shipment inspection and conformity programmes.
Several African countries operate mandatory conformity assessment on imports — schemes such as SONCAP for Nigeria, PVoC for Kenya, and equivalents in Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda and elsewhere. The certificate must be issued before the goods are shipped. Cargo arriving without it faces heavy penalties, forced re-export or destruction, and no amount of argument at the port fixes it retroactively.
We check the destination's regime before booking and arrange the inspection and certification through accredited bodies as part of the shipment.
UAE to Africa FAQ
Can I ship less than a container?
Yes. LCL from 1 CBM is how most of this lane works. You pay for the space you use.
What is SONCAP or PVoC and do I need it?
They are mandatory pre-shipment conformity programmes — Nigeria and Kenya respectively, with equivalents elsewhere. The certificate is issued before shipping, based on an inspection in the country of supply. If your commodity is regulated, you need it, and we arrange it.
Can you buy the goods in Dubai for me?
Yes — source, inspect, pay the supplier against your funds and export in your name or ours.
How do I ship a car to Nigeria or Kenya?
RoRo or container, depending on the vehicle and your budget. Age limits apply in several countries and duty is calculated on assessed value, not on what you paid. See car shipping.
Do you handle clearance at the destination port?
Yes, through agents in each main port, including inland delivery to landlocked destinations.
How do I avoid demurrage?
Make sure the consignee has the original documents or telex release and the funds ready before the vessel arrives. We warn you when the free-time clock is about to start.
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Shipping to Africa?
Tell us the port and the commodity. We will check the conformity regime and price the shipment including certification.