Ship-refuelling hubs along Africa’s coastline are seeing a surge in demand as vessels increasingly reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, with ongoing conflict in the Middle East reshaping global shipping patterns and boosting the continent’s role in marine fuel supply.
The shift follows sustained security threats in key maritime corridors, including the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, prompting major shipping lines to avoid traditional routes via the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Industry players say the rerouting trend, which began in late 2023, has intensified in recent weeks, with global container carriers including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM confirming diversions around southern Africa.
While the longer route increases voyage times and costs, it has opened new opportunities for African bunkering hubs, where vessels refuel during extended journeys.
“Volumes have been positively impacted by the Red Sea security situation causing more vessels to reroute south of Africa,” a spokesperson for Monjasa said, noting a rise in demand that accelerated further during the early days of the Iran conflict.
The growing traffic has reinforced Africa’s emergence as a strategic bunkering destination, with both established suppliers and new entrants scaling up operations across the continent.
Companies such as Vitol, Peninsula, Flex Commodities and Global Fuel Supply are expanding their footprint, targeting increased vessel flows along the Cape route.
The impact is particularly visible along key maritime corridors.
Diversions around the Cape of Good Hope have more than doubled, according to the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, underscoring what industry executives increasingly describe as a structural shift rather than a temporary adjustment.
“At this point, it is becoming an operational reality,” a senior executive at Maersk said, highlighting how prolonged instability has forced shipping firms to adapt.
The trend is also driving investment in new bunkering locations. In Namibia, Flex Commodities has launched operations at Walvis Bay and Lüderitz, positioning itself to capture rising traffic and offshore demand.
In West Africa, local operators are also scaling up. Ghana-based Misa Energy expects bunkering volumes in the country to expand significantly over the next decade as shipping activity grows.
Beyond the immediate geopolitical drivers, analysts say Africa’s strategic location on global trade routes, combined with rising intra-African commerce and ongoing port infrastructure development, could sustain long-term growth in the sector.
Ports such as Port Louis in Mauritius have already recorded sharp increases in bunker fuel sales, reflecting shifting trade dynamics and growing demand for refuelling services.
More Read
However, industry players caution that significant challenges remain.
Security risks, including piracy in parts of West Africa, continue to pose operational concerns, while infrastructure constraints—such as port congestion and limited storage capacity—could limit the pace of expansion.
Uncertainty over fuel supply is another key risk. Disruptions to Middle Eastern exports, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, are expected to tighten global fuel oil availability, potentially driving up costs across bunkering hubs.
“Fuel oil supply is expected to tighten across all bunkering hubs,” an analyst at LSEG said, pointing to reduced refinery output and constrained crude supply.
Regulatory issues are also weighing on growth in some markets. South Africa, historically one of Africa’s leading bunkering hubs, has lost market share in recent years due to tax and licensing disputes, with reduced activity at key refuelling zones such as Algoa Bay.
Despite these hurdles, the ongoing rerouting of global shipping traffic is expected to continue supporting Africa’s bunkering sector, at least in the near term.
Analysts say that as long as instability persists along traditional maritime routes, the Cape of Good Hope will remain a critical alternative — further cementing Africa’s position in global energy and shipping networks.
