Ports across Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa recorded sharply different levels of operational efficiency in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), highlighting a wide performance gap among the region's maritime gateways.

The index, developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence, ranks container ports according to observed vessel time in port and provides a data-driven benchmark for measuring port efficiency across countries and regions.

The 2025 results show that while some African ports perform at or near global standards, several major gateways still record relatively long vessel turnaround times.

Morocco's Tanger Med emerged as the highest-ranked African port, placing sixth globally with a CPPI score of 134.0. Egypt's Port Said followed in 15th position with a score of 117.0, putting the two North African gateways among the world's best-performing container ports.

Djibouti was the strongest performer in Eastern Africa, ranking 53rd globally with a score of 62.6, while Somalia's Mogadishu port ranked 127th with a score of 13.9.

The results underline the importance of operational efficiency to the competitiveness of maritime gateways serving the Eastern, Southern and Northern Africa region.

The CPPI measures the time container ships spend in port, capturing the combined effects of nautical access, berth availability, cargo-handling productivity, yard operations and coordination among the various stakeholders involved in vessel and cargo movements.

Unlike indicators based on self-reported performance, the index uses observed vessel-call data, providing a consistent basis for comparing ports operating within international shipping networks.

Northern African ports generally performed strongly in the 2025 assessment. Besides Tanger Med and Port Said, Egypt had three other ports among the better-performing African gateways. Damietta ranked 105th with a score of 22.8, El Sokhna was 115th with 17.1, while El Dekheila ranked 179th with 4.1.

However, performance declined considerably further down the regional ranking. Tunisia's Radès ranked 238th, followed by Tanzania's Dar es Salaam at 255th. Algeria's Annaba ranked 270th, while Mozambique's Maputo was 273rd. Morocco's Agadir ranked 279th, Libya's Qasr Ahmed 286th, and Egypt's Alexandria 299th.

Further down the table were Libya's Khoms at 308th, South Africa's Port Elizabeth at 314th, and Mozambique's Beira at 315th. Mozambique's Nacala ranked 356th, while Namibia's Walvis Bay was 372nd and South Africa's Ngqura/Coega 380th.

At the lower end of the global ranking were three major Southern and Eastern African gateways. Kenya's Mombasa ranked 396th globally with a CPPI score of -231.5, South Africa's Durban was 398th with -241.7, while Cape Town ranked 400th, the lowest position in the index, with a score of -302.6.

The results demonstrate that port size and strategic importance do not necessarily translate into high operational efficiency.

Mombasa's position is particularly significant for Eastern Africa because the port serves Kenya and several land-linked economies in the region. The CPPI ranking therefore points to an important distinction between cargo throughput and vessel turnaround efficiency. A port can handle growing volumes while still experiencing operational constraints that increase the amount of time ships spend in port.

For regional policymakers and port operators, the finding reinforces the need to look beyond cargo volumes when assessing port competitiveness. Reducing vessel turnaround times can increase the effective capacity of existing infrastructure, improve schedule reliability for shipping lines, and reduce the wider logistics costs associated with delays.

Tanzania's Dar es Salaam port provides a contrasting case within Eastern Africa. The port ranked 255th globally with a CPPI score of -7.8, significantly ahead of Mombasa. Dar es Salaam is also undergoing investments aimed at increasing handling capacity, improving cargo evacuation and strengthening its role as a gateway to land-linked countries in the region.

For the ESNA region, improving port performance will require attention not only to physical infrastructure but also to the systems governing vessel arrivals, berthing, cargo operations, customs, inland transport and information exchange.