Morning breaks over the port of Mombasa. Dozens of containers line up beneath a sky full of promises, but also of uncertainties. In this silent ballet of cranes and trucks, one crucial question arises: how can supply chains in Africa be secured against geopolitical shocks, health crises, and mounting climate challenges?
A vulnerable yet strategic continent
Long considered a mere stopover on global trade routes, Africa is now emerging as a central player. With its 1.4 billion inhabitants, abundant natural resources, and an expanding middle class, the continent is becoming a strategic link in global supply chains.
The Afriques newsletter
- Free & no spam
- 1 email per day
- Unsubscribe in 1 click
But this position comes with fragilities. According to a report by the African Development Bank, more than 60% of Africa’s food imports depend on external sources. “A disruption in a European or Asian port can trigger shortages as far as the markets of Dakar or Kinshasa,” explains Fatou Diarra, an economist specializing in logistics based in Abidjan.
African supply chains are also exposed to internal risks: aging infrastructure, political instability, corruption, insecurity, and lack of coordination between states. All of these obstacles hinder the continent’s resilience in the face of crises.
The COVID-19 shock, a brutal wake-up call
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, it acted as a revelation. Borders closed. Ports slowed down. Trucks were left stranded. Everywhere, supply chains collapsed like dominoes.
“We saw essential medicines running out in hospitals in Lagos, perishable goods rotting on roads in Kenya, and spare parts nowhere to be found for textile factories in Morocco,” recalls Ahmed El Mansouri, logistics director of an agri-food company in Casablanca.
This shock highlighted the continent’s extreme dependence on distant suppliers. It also underscored the lack of regional coordination. Trade corridors, such as Cairo-Cape Town or Lagos-Mombasa, were paralyzed by inconsistent regulations between neighboring countries.
Since then, an awareness has begun to take shape. But securing supply chains cannot simply be decreed. It must be built, step by step.
Infrastructure in urgent need of rethinking
At the heart of the problem: infrastructure. Potholed roads, overcrowded ports, obsolete rail networks… The cost of transport in Africa remains among the highest in the world. On average, it accounts for 30 to 50% of a product’s final price, compared to 8% in Europe.
“It sometimes takes three weeks to ship a cargo of cotton from Mali to the port of Lomé. It’s unsustainable,” laments Mamadou Traoré, a logistics specialist in Bamako.
Ambitious projects are nevertheless emerging. In Nigeria, the modernization of the Lekki port aims to streamline trade flows. In East Africa, the LAPSSET corridor project between Kenya, South Sudan, and Ethiopia promises to open up entire regions. But these undertakings require massive funding and lasting political stability.
Urban logistics must also adapt to cities experiencing explosive demographic growth. In Lagos or Kinshasa, last-mile delivery has become a daily headache. Local start-ups, such as Kobo360 and Sendy, are betting on digital solutions to optimize routes and reduce costs.
Relocalize, diversify, digitalize
Faced with global vulnerabilities, Africa is exploring new strategies. The first: relocating part of production. The idea is not to produce everything locally, but to reduce critical dependencies.
“We launched a generic medicine manufacturing unit in Accra to avoid stock shortages like those in 2020,” explains Kwame Mensah, director of a Ghanaian pharmaceutical company. “It gives us more control over our lead times and costs.”
The second strategy: diversifying suppliers and trade routes. Rather than depending on a single port or a single country, some African companies are multiplying their options. They are turning to alternative hubs such as Tanger Med, Durban, or Djibouti.
Finally, digitalization is emerging as a major lever. Through blockchain, traceability platforms, or artificial intelligence, certain supply chains are becoming more transparent and responsive. In South Africa, the company Imperial Logistics reduced its delivery times by 20% thanks to a predictive system based on weather and road data.
The AfCFTA: regional hope or mirage?
Signed by 54 countries, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises to transform intra-African trade. It aims to eliminate 90% of customs duties and harmonize standards between states.
“It is a historic opportunity to secure our supply chains by consolidating our markets,” says Wanjiru Mwangi, an analyst at the African Union. “But there is still a long way to go.”
For non-tariff barriers, such as customs delays or administrative requirements, still hinder trade. On average, a truck takes 10 days to cross three West African countries, compared to 48 hours in Europe.
The success of the AfCFTA will depend on the political will of states, but also on the ability of businesses to adapt to this new economic space. In the long run, a more integrated Africa could better withstand external shocks and gain logistical autonomy.
More human supply chains
Beyond infrastructure and technology, securing supply chains in Africa also means protecting the women and men who keep them running. Truck drivers, dockers, handlers, traders… Millions of people depend on these flows to survive.
“During the pandemic, I drove 18 hours a day to deliver food between Nairobi and Kampala. Without a mask, without insurance, with checkpoints at every border,” recounts John Otieno, a Kenyan truck driver. “We are often forgotten, but without us, nothing moves.”
Initiatives are emerging to secure working conditions: training, health insurance, access to digital tools. Some transport cooperatives, such as in Burkina Faso or Rwanda, are beginning to structure the profession. But efforts remain marginal.
For a supply chain, however sophisticated, is only as strong as its weakest link. And that link, more often than not, is the human one.
As the world enters an era of multiple uncertainties, Africa has no choice but to invent its own answers. Will its supply chains tomorrow be more resilient, more local, more equitable? Or will they remain at the mercy of a world they do not yet control?
