Shipping to Africa: A Practical Logistics Guide for UK Exporters

The African logistics landscape: what UK exporters need to know#

Africa's logistics infrastructure is more developed than popular perception suggests — particularly in the major commercial hubs. Nairobi (Kenya), Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Johannesburg (South Africa), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), and Casablanca (Morocco) all have good international air and sea freight connectivity, reliable courier services, and established customs clearance infrastructure. Outside these cities, delivery becomes progressively more challenging. The most common UK-to-Africa shipping routes: London Heathrow to Nairobi, Lagos, or Accra by air (typically 6-12 hours flight time, reliable for express freight); Southampton or Felixstowe to Mombasa, Lagos, or Durban by ocean freight (typically 3-5 weeks transit time).

Air freight vs ocean freight for African shipments#

Air freight: faster (typically 2-5 days door-to-door for major African hubs), more reliable, lower minimum order requirements. Cost: typically £3-8 per kilogram depending on route and density. Best for: high-value goods, time-sensitive shipments, small initial consignments to test the market, and perishable or fashion goods with short sell-through windows. Ocean freight: slower (3-6 weeks), significantly cheaper per unit for high-volume shipments, but requires minimum viable container volumes (typically 15+ cubic metres for LCL efficiency). Best for: high-volume, non-perishable consumer goods where cost is more important than speed.

Customs documentation for African markets#

All African markets require: commercial invoice (goods description, quantity, unit price, total value, country of origin), packing list (detailed inventory by carton), bill of lading or air waybill, and certificate of origin (required for duty assessment and some product categories). Many markets require additional documentation: pre-shipment inspection certificates (required in Nigeria and some other markets — goods must be inspected before shipment and certified by an approved inspection company), phytosanitary or health certificates (required for food, agricultural, and some cosmetic products), and conformity certificates for electronics and regulated products.

Key logistics partners for UK-Africa shipments#

Global freight forwarders with strong African presence: Bolloré Logistics (strongest Africa coverage, offices in 46 African countries), Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding, and Maersk. For small parcel/express shipments: DHL Express (the most reliable option for African express delivery with coverage in 40+ African countries), FedEx, and TNT. For East Africa specifically: Freight in Time, Kenya Airways Cargo, and Ethiopia Airlines Cargo offer competitive rates on UK-East Africa routes. For West Africa: MSC, CMA CGM, and Grimaldi Shipping provide ocean freight on UK-West Africa routes.

Last-mile delivery considerations#

Last-mile delivery in African markets is the most variable element of the logistics chain. In major cities — Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Abidjan — courier networks provide reliable business-day delivery. Outside major cities, delivery times extend to 3-7 days and reliability falls. Parcel lockers and collection points (Posta Kenya PostBoxes, DHL ServicePoints, local retail collection) are growing rapidly as an alternative to home delivery. For UK brands selling B2C in African markets, the recommended approach is: ship to a local distributor or third-party warehouse in the major city hub, and use local courier networks for domestic delivery rather than attempting to manage last-mile logistics directly from the UK.