Engaging the International Chamber of Shipping

Engaging the International Chamber of Shipping on Africa's Priorities

Africa’s Case to the Voice of Shipowners

The International Chamber of Shipping is the global trade association for shipowners and operators. Make in Africa is not a member of it, is not affiliated with it and is not endorsed by it. This page only sets out what we will ask of such a body and what we can offer in return. Africa moves cargo that feeds, fuels and employs its people, and the owners who serve it should hear African needs directly.

Why This Engagement Matters to Africa

Shipowners Shape What Africa Pays

Owners and operators decide which ports they call at, which safety and training standards they follow and how fast new fuel rules are adopted. Those choices reach African exporters as higher costs or fewer sailings. We want a steady, respectful dialogue so that the shipowning industry hears African views early, before rules are set, and so that African ports, chambers and governments know what is coming.

Our Asks
What Make in Africa Will Ask

An African Voice in the Room

Africa should have a place in the discussions that shape shipping, not only receive the outcome. We will ask for regular dialogue with African governments, ports and chambers, and for African experience to be reflected in industry positions on safety, trade facilitation and the cost of moving cargo.

African Seafarers and Training

Africa has young people ready for careers at sea, yet too few find cadetships and sea-time. We will ask for more training places, support for African maritime academies and fair employment terms. Skilled seafarers mean jobs at home and a base for African-owned shipping.

Safety and Fair Treatment of Cargo

Safe ships protect crews, cargo and African coasts. We will ask for high safety practice on every route, and for African ports and cargoes to be treated fairly, with no automatic penalty for where a ship loads or discharges. Higher risk should be priced on evidence, not on assumption.

What We Offer in Return

Introductions to African Ports

We will introduce owners and their representatives to African port authorities and terminal users who want to discuss efficiency, berth access and turnaround. Introductions are offered in good faith, and any commercial decision stays between the parties. Make in Africa does not speak for any port.

Introductions to Chambers and Shippers

African chambers, shippers' councils and freight forwarders can tell owners what their members need and what slows them down. We will help set up conversations, and where members agree we will support a common African position through the coalition of African shipping bodies that we are inviting to form.

Introductions to Governments

We will connect industry representatives with ministries of transport, maritime authorities and regional economic communities that set the rules ships meet in African waters. Clear, early contact helps both sides plan, and helps governments adopt sensible rules.

Decarbonisation Africa Can Afford

Clear Rules, Given Early Enough to Plan

Africa supports cleaner shipping. Rules on emissions should be clear, predictable and announced early enough for African ports, exporters and shipping companies to prepare. We will ask that the costs of new rules do not fall hardest on African trade, where margins are already thin.

Finance and Technology Support

Green fuels, cleaner engines and shore power need money and know-how. We will ask the industry and the major economies to back fuel supply, bunkering and port upgrades in Africa with fairly priced finance and technology sharing, so that Africa builds and fuels cleaner shipping and is not only a market that pays for it.

No Unfair Cost to African Trade

Any carbon charge or surcharge that follows from new rules should be transparent and justified, and should not undercut African processed goods against cargo from richer economies. We will ask for impact assessments that look at African trade, and for support where costs cannot be avoided.

What Fair Partnership Looks Like in Practice

Respectful Dialogue, Not Pressure

We seek an open, courteous exchange of views. We do not ask the industry to take sides between states, and we do not accuse any company of wrongdoing. We ask for listening, shared evidence and practical steps that make shipping to and from Africa safer, cheaper and fairer.

Shared Evidence and Honest Data

We will share what African ports and shippers report on delays, charges and capacity, in aggregate form. We hope owners will share what they see too. Better data on both sides helps find the real bottlenecks and fix them.

Africa Must Do Its Part Too

Africa has work to do on port efficiency, customs speed, governance and honest standards. We will say so, and we will publish who delivers. A partner that invests in Africa should find ports that work and rules that are applied fairly.

Start the Conversation

This page does not announce any agreement or contact with the International Chamber of Shipping. It sets out in advance what Make in Africa will ask and offer when it engages. We will report openly on any dialogue, and we will not claim an endorsement we have not received.

African chambers, ports and governments are welcome to help shape these asks through the form.

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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.

MIAGS advances South–South cooperation, trade, investment, industrialization, technology, infrastructure and economic resilience, creating platforms for dialogue, strategic partnerships and cross-border opportunities.

Our mission is to strengthen the Global South and Africa’s role in the global economy by connecting capital with opportunity, innovation with markets and economic priorities with action—while fostering a more connected, productive and influential economic future.

Engaging the International Chamber of Shipping

Engaging the International Chamber of Shipping on Africa's Priorities

Why This Engagement Matters to Africa