AFRICAN trade is growing rapidly, but Inchcape Shipping Services vice president for East African David MacKay doubts its seaports can without new facilities to accommodate the traffic.
"There is an ongoing shift from break/bulk and general cargo to containers. Traditional general cargo, such as bagged rice and even steel, is now moving more frequently via containerships," Mr McKay said.
"Most African ports tend to be very expensive in terms of break/bulk discharge per tonne basis compared with paying full terminal handling charges for a container loaded with 24 tonnes of rice. Overall safety and security of cargo and less damages also play their part," he said.
This, he said, is because break/bulk is rapidly disappearing in favour of containers, but African port infrastructure is not developing fast enough to cope with the change.
Yet fresh development of new ports is evident as old ports become unable to provide the needed space required to sustain rapid container growth, he told Lloyd's Loading List.
"Mombasa can continue to expand and literally treble in size in the next 10 years, if the planning and infrastructure developments are properly planned," he said.
But Lagos and Dar es Salaam, he said, will find it difficult as they are closed in by the cities around them, a situation that has prompted Lagos to develop a new port at Lekki, 100 kilometres southeast.
Mr McKay also noted that Lamu in northern Kenya was also being developed as a port to support Southern Sudan and Ethiopia over the next five years.
Of the Lagos project, he said: "This will be a deep-draught oil, gas and major container port, as well as having facilities for bulk and breakbulk operations. The port hinterland and infrastructure will also be supported by a major free zone facility."
Mr McKay said the role of China in Africa is also becoming more pronounced as it secures long-term contracts for minerals, oil and gas in return for investment in infrastructure, roads, schools and hospitals.
The import-export balance remains very poor and getting worse in most African countries, he said. "Countries such as Kenya and Nigeria now have a ratio of ten import containers to only one or two export containers," he said.
Ghana and Tanzania do better with 30 per cent exports compared with imports reliant on agricultural exports such as pulses, cocoa, shea nuts, coffee, tea and cashew nuts.
"South Africa, with its developed economy and strong industrial base, also has a decent export ratio, although large volume export commodities such as coal and grain still move on break/bulk and bulk vessels." he said.