Kenya’s busiest harbour, the Port of Mombasa, has lost ground in the 2024 Container Port Performance Index, settling at 375th worldwide and 35th in Africa.

The report, prepared by the World Bank together with S&P Global Market Intelligence, placed the facility behind several regional rivals, underlining the difficulties facing East Africa’s main trade gateway.

The annual study evaluates more than 400 container terminals and ranks them by efficiency, with vessel turnaround time and length of stay forming the key measures.

Mombasa’s position this year is weaker than in 2023, when it stood at 328th globally.

Other ports along the continent fared better.

Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam was listed 360th worldwide and 31st in Africa, while Djibouti, an important Red Sea hub, came in at 364th globally and 32nd on the continental table.

Mozambique showed stronger results: Beira was placed 292nd worldwide, ranking 16th in Africa, while Maputo and Nacala secured 28th and 33rd positions respectively.

Africa’s strongest performers were concentrated in the north. Port Said in Egypt ranked third globally with a score of 137, the highest on the continent.

Morocco’s Tangier-Med followed in fifth place worldwide with 136 points.

Further west, Senegal’s Port of Dakar registered the sharpest leap, improving by more than 100 places to reach 108th after investments in infrastructure and changes to customs procedures.

Somalia’s Mogadishu (163 globally), Madagascar’s Toamasina (177), and Sierra Leone’s Freetown (216) also appeared in Africa’s top ten.

At the other end of the spectrum, South Africa continued to struggle, with Durban listed last out of all ports assessed, 403rd globally, due to long vessel waiting times and ageing equipment.

The World Bank warned of broader challenges, noting that, “while African ports remain critical gateways for trade, many still struggle due to limited investment in technology, weak institutional capacity and chronic congestion.”

Internationally, Asian ports continued to dominate the upper end of the rankings.

China’s Yangshan retained its first-place position with a score of 146, followed by Fuzhou on 139.

Outside Port Said, few African ports featured prominently, with the top 20 largely commanded by Asia’s large and highly automated gateways.

Mombasa’s fall highlights a growing contrast: while North Africa and Asia strengthen their positions, East Africa’s principal port faces mounting pressure to reform if it is to retain its strategic role.