The World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence have published their annual ranking of the most competitive ports, highlighting the players in the African port landscape.
The ranking highlights the importance of port infrastructure to global trade. The Container Port Performance Index 2023 evaluates the performance of 405 ports worldwide by measuring their efficiency in handling containers.
In 2023, the port of Yangshan in China tops the global ranking, followed by Salalah in Oman and Cartagena in Colombia.
On the African continent, the Moroccan port of Tanger Med maintains its leading position, ranking among the four most competitive ports in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
The Moroccan port’s performance is underpinned by massive investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure and efficient management, which is making the port a major logistics hub in Africa.
Another surprise in the rankings is the presence of the port of Mogadishu in Somalia in the African top 5.
This shows remarkable resilience in the face of local challenges. Managed by the Turkish group Albayrak, the port has benefited from significant investment to modernise its facilities and strengthen its regional competitiveness.
In Egypt, Port Said maintained its position as the second best performing port in Africa, supported by its strategic location on the Suez Canal. In contrast, the port of Alexandria has slipped slightly in the world rankings, but remains a key player in continental maritime trade.
In the report, the World Bank and S&P highlight the efficiency of the ports in a context where more than 80 percent of world trade is carried by sea. However, they call for increased investment in resilience, new technologies and sustainable infrastructure to support the continued growth of global trade and optimise international supply chains.
MN/te/lb/as/APA