Port of the month: Mombasa in the heart of East Africa

When you hear about Kenya, experiencing elephants, giraffes, lions and the like in the wild is certainly one of the first things to pop into your head. For Hapag-Lloyd, this African country and its port city of Mombasa are also becoming increasingly important in commercial terms.

After Nairobi, the capital city, Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya and home to the most important port in East Africa. The main part of the city is located on Mombasa Island, directly on the Indian Ocean. Roughly a million people live in this colorful and lively city, which was founded by Arabs in the 11th century and gained its independence from Britain in 1963.

Surrounded by white sandy beaches and azure-blue water, Mombasa is a breathtaking holiday destination. While tourism continues to increase, there has also been growth in industry and the export of tea and coffee. As a result, Kenya’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to increase by around 5.5 percent from 2017 to 2018.

The Port of Mombasa has been part of Hapag-Lloyd’s new East Africa Service (EAS) since April 2018. This service connects the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah with Mombasa and the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, thereby expanding Hapag-Lloyd’s global network.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) manages the Port of Mombasa. This is the first port of call of the vessels and has good connections to the interior of the country. For example, Kenya Uganda Railways is used for the onward transport of goods to West and Central Africa. Trucks are also used to transport goods across borders to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, northern Tanzania, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. More than 80 direct connections are offered from Mombasa.

On top of being a place well worth the trip, Mombasa is also a strategic location in Hapag-Lloyd’s expansion of its global network.