The global trade map is changing. Africa New Charging Compass

The pressures resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the continued tensions in the Red Sea have led to a radical shift in international cargo trade routes, with the African continent emerging as a major hub for global container ship traffic, according to logistical and maritime sources. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz over the past two months, shipping companies have been forced to adopt alternative land routes to transport manufactured goods and food via trucks to the Gulf coastal states, after they could not reach them by sea.

Jeddah Port as a "Regional Hub" and Land Solutions

In light of this crisis, Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port on the Red Sea has become a regional hub for cargo giants such as Maersk and CMAC GM coming through the Suez Canal.

From there, goods are transported by land via desert routes to destinations such as Sharjah, Bahrain and Kuwait, where maritime navigation has been cut off.

However, the system faces logistical challenges, with Artur Barillas de Teh, founder of Overseas, telling AFP that there are fears of severe congestion at the port of Jeddah, which may not be able to accommodate such huge volumes.

According to Kepler Marine Traffic data, the average wait time for ships at the port rose to a day and a half last Wednesday compared to 17 hours the previous week.

Companies have also resorted to using ports outside the strait, such as the UAE's Sohar, Khorfakkan and Fujairah ports, with Jordan's Aqaba port and Turkish lanes as shipping bases for Iraq.

The Sovereignty of the "Cape of Good Hope" Road

Although avoiding the Red Sea began in late 2023 following Houthi attacks, the change of course has become systematic and comprehensive in 2026.

Data from the IMF's PortWatch platform reveals major shifts, with  70% of cargo flows that were scheduled to pass through the Red Sea diverted to the Cape of Good Hope.

Container traffic around Africa has more than tripled in three years, while through the Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb  has more than halved, with the average number of ships transiting the Cape of Good Hope rising to 20 per day in March and April 2026, compared to just 6 ships in 2023.

  The rate of crossings through Bab al-Mandab has also decreased from 18 crossings per day in 2023 to just 5 crossings in the same period in 2026.

These shifts have imposed a difficult economic reality, with travel times between Asia and Europe increasing by an average of two weeks, and costs rising as a result of increased fuel consumption by 30 to 50 per cent.

According to the Drury Index, the average price of transporting a standard container increased by 14% in April 2026 compared to last year.

At the port level, activity has picked up in some African facilities, such as Morocco's port of Tangier, which handled 11 million containers in 2025.

On the other hand, Egypt suffered heavy losses in Suez Canal revenues, as Cyclop reports indicated that the country lost about $7 billion in revenues in 2024, a decrease of more than 60% compared to 2023.