The disruptions to global shipping routes have taken a huge toll on Kenya’s economy, though other African nations stand to benefit from the upheaval.
Millions of kilograms of Middle East-bound tea are stuck in warehouses in Mombasa’s port, threatening the incomes of Kenyan farmers and exporters alike; a regional trade body said the cost is roughly $8 million a week since March 1.
But the blow to global shipping caused by the Iran war has had the opposite effect elsewhere in Africa. Maritime traffic to South Africa has jumped as shipping companies look for safer routes around the Cape of Good Hope — even if the journey is much longer and pricier — while Tanger Med, Africa’s largest container port, is bracing for a surge in demand.