From dhows to mega-containers
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From dhows to mega-containers
Ancient maritime trade in East Africa evolves into modern regional connectivity.
For centuries dhows were central to commerce along Africa’s eastern seaboard. Using monsoon winds, traders from Arabia, India and Persia shipped spices, ivory, timber and gold into ports along present-day Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. Dhows were simple to operate, easy to repair and reliable, making them the backbone of pre-colonial maritime trade. Their role diminished as larger vessels and colonial shipping lines expanded, but they remain symbols of East Africa’s trading heritage.
Major ports today: throughput and trade patterns
Today the region’s ports handle millions of tonnes of cargo each year. Djibouti is the primary maritime hub of the Horn of Africa, its Doraleh Terminal processed about 1.2 million TEUs by the end of 2024. In Kenya, Mombasa remains East Africa’s busiest port, moving 41.1 million tonnes in 2024, up from 36 million tonnes in 2023.
Dar es Salaam is Tanzania’s gateway, increasing throughput from 23.06 million tonnes in 2022 to 26.48 million tonnes in 2023. Further south, Maputo in Mozambique handled 30.9 million tonnes in 2024, although volumes dropped to 14.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2025 due to unrest.
Nacala reached 1.4 million tonnes in 2024, including roughly 100,000 containers, while Beira set a record in July 2024 when volumes hit 442,000 tonnes, more than double the same month a year earlier.
Regional trade flows: primary partners and corridors
Most of this trade connects African economies with one another as well as with Asia and Europe. Mombasa’s traffic is dominated by Uganda, which accounted for 65.7 percent of transit cargo in 2024 or about 8.8 million tonnes. Dar es Salaam serves Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the new Kwala Dry Port near Dar expected to increase efficiency from 2025. Maputo is a southern outlet for chrome, ferrochrome and aggregates from South Africa and Zimbabwe, even though political instability has disrupted flows.
From past to present
The contrast between dhows and modern ports is stark. Where small wooden vessels once ferried limited cargo across short distances, container ships now move millions of tonnes through high-tech terminals and industrial corridors. The underlying principle, however, remains the same. East Africa’s economy is still defined by maritime trade, and while dhows have given way to mega-carriers, the sea continues to bind the region to global markets.
Image: For centuries dhows were central to commerce along Africa’s eastern seaboard. Image credit: Leon Louw for WhyAfrica
From dhows to mega-containers