According to a report by consulting firm PwC, ports are responsible for 80 per cent of the world’s trade in goods by volume and 70 per cent by value. They can act as a key driver for economic growth. East Africa’s strategic location along major global trade routes, like the Gulf of Aden, has rendered its ports critical nodes in international commerce.1 East Africa’s ports, including those in Tanzania, Kenya, and Djibouti, are essential for the transit of goods between Asia, Europe, and Africa. These ports connect landlocked countries to international markets and stimulate economic growth through trade and infrastructure development.
Additionally, the region’s ports hold strategic importance for global powers, contributing to geostrategic dynamics. Still, the port business is closely linked with local politics who sometimes ollow particular interests, that don’t always have the general publics’ good in mind.
This brief explores the economic importance of ports in East Africa while also considering geostrategic factors, with a specific focus on the port deal in Tanzania with Dubai as the most recent example.
1 https://www.pwc.co.za/en/publications/african-ports.html
