African Shipping Chambers and Associations
An Invitation to Africa's Shipping Chambers, Associations and Port Users
One Continent, One Voice at the Table
Make in Africa is inviting national and regional shipowners’ associations, shippers’ councils, freight-forwarder bodies and port-user groups across Africa to form a common African voice on shipping. We would convene it. It does not exist yet, and it will only be as strong as the bodies that choose to build it. It would be a coalition of equals, not a new regulator, and it would sit beside the Cooperation and Dialogue Councils that speak for Africa’s needs in the world’s key sea passages.
Why Africa Needs One Voice in Shipping
Separate Voices Pay More
Africa ships raw materials out and brings finished goods in, and it pays dearly for the journey in freight, insurance and delay. Each national body now speaks to the world’s shipping institutions alone, often with little shared data. A common voice lets Africa’s shipping chambers and associations pool evidence, agree priorities and be heard together, so that the asks made of the world are clear and consistent.
Our Shared Asks
What Africa Asks of the Shipping System
Fair Freight, Insurance and Delay Costs
Too much African trade carries a risk premium that does not match the real risk on the ground. We will ask the shipping system for transparent surcharges, fair freight terms and insurance priced on evidence, and for data on delays to be shared openly. Lower trade costs help African exporters, and they help the lines and owners that serve them.
Fair Treatment for Processed Goods
Africa should not be punished for adding value. We will ask for freight and port terms that treat processed and manufactured cargo fairly, and for the major economies to ease tariff escalation and unfair standards that keep processing offshore. Shipping rules should help African factories reach markets, not lock in the export of raw material.
What African Bodies Bring
Evidence from Ports and Shippers
Your members see the real cost of moving cargo: the waiting time, the charges, the missing containers and the paperwork. That evidence, gathered carefully and shared in aggregate, gives African asks their weight. We will help you turn day-to-day experience into clear, comparable data for governments and shipping institutions.
Knowledge of Local Markets and Rules
National and regional bodies know their customs systems, port practices and regional economic communities in detail. That knowledge helps the coalition ask for the right fix in the right place, and avoid generic demands that miss the real bottleneck. It also supports intra-African trade under the AfCFTA, where port and shipping links matter.
Credibility with Your Members
Chambers and associations are trusted by the businesses they serve. When you stand behind a common position, shippers, forwarders and owners are more willing to follow it. That trust turns a statement into a shared commitment to better practice, from honest documentation to faster port turnaround.
What Partnership Looks Like
A Coalition of Equals, Not a Regulator
Each body keeps its own mandate, members and independence. The coalition is a table where common positions are drafted, tested and agreed by consensus. It does not regulate, license or discipline anyone, and it does not replace national authorities, port operators or existing associations.
Working Groups on Real Problems
We will convene working groups on the issues members raise: port efficiency, charges, container availability, safety, seafarer training and green rules. Each group will draft short position papers, agree what to ask and of whom, and report back to members. Work will be added as it is agreed, and results will be published.
Dialogue with Global Shipping Bodies
Where members agree, we will carry African positions to international shipping institutions, governments and development partners. These are conversations, not negotiations on anyone's behalf. We will also support dialogue when a sea passage is disrupted, drawing on the work of the Cooperation and Dialogue Councils.
How Make in Africa Supports the Coalition
Join the African Shipping Voice
Africa’s shipping story should be told by Africans. A common voice can help turn a continent that ships raw material out into one that processes, builds, repairs and carries more at home. If your national or regional shipping body shares that aim, we invite you to talk to us. Nothing here is a commitment until you decide it is.
Write to us through the form and tell us which members and issues your body represents.
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The Make In Africa Global Summit (MIAGS) is a global platform connecting leaders, businesses, investors, institutions and policymakers shaping the next era of economic growth across the Global South and Africa.
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