West Africa Emerges as Strategic Shipping Hub

As geopolitical volatility shakes some of the world’s most crucial shipping corridors, a quiet revolution is taking place along the Atlantic coast of Africa.

In a bold and symbolic move, MSC has become the first to deploy its ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) to West Africa, with the arrival of two 24,000 TEU mega-ships to the ports of Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon in late April and early May 2025.

MSC’s decision coincides with mounting disruptions in traditional East-West shipping routes as ongoing attacks and security concerns in the Red Sea have forced carriers to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.