Africa’s Logistics Market Grows Steadily, but U.S. Tariffs Pose New Challenges

Africa’s logistics market showed solid growth in the first half of 2025, according to France-based Africa Global Logistics (AGL). Rising sea freight imports, particularly from Asia and North America, drove a 14% year-on-year increase, with strong demand for manufactured goods, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. However, air cargo volumes declined by 13.4% due to higher energy costs and reduced exports to the U.S. While land transport expanded in South Africa through modernized rail infrastructure, new U.S. tariffs introduced in August have hurt exports especially autos, agriculture, and textiles, raising concerns over potential job losses across key African economies.