Zanzibar battles record cargo inflows as Maersk cautions clients

According to the advisory, vessel waiting times at Zanzibar’s main berth have now reached around 35 days, primarily due to the prioritisation of bulk cargo vessels transporting food and essential goods for local consumption.

The disruption, which began in February, has significantly affected the transit time for other shipments to the islands.

“Ad hoc feeder vessels deployed to facilitate cargo flow are also experiencing delays due to congestion at alternative berths,” said Maersk, noting that the disruption has hampered its ability to maintain regular service frequencies and ensure timely deliveries.

To ease the impact, the shipping company said it has secured additional capacity on the FEF barge service, which utilises an alternative Zanzibar berth with a comparatively shorter waiting time of between 10 and 13 days.

Through this channel, Maersk said it had already cleared approximately 1,500 metric tonnes of backlogged cargo.

The shipping line also confirmed ongoing engagements with Zanzibar’s port authorities and terminal operators aimed at achieving more efficient berth allocations and reducing vessel waiting times.

“Our network team is reviewing the current service schedule to align with Zanzibar’s evolving operational environment and avoid severe backlogs in the future,” the advisory read in part.

Speaking to The Citizen, Zanzibar Ports Corporation Director General Mr Akif Ali Khamis attributed the delays at Malindi Port to an unexpected surge in cargo volumes, which he described as unprecedented compared to previous years.

“Normally, cargo volumes drop after Ramadan. However, since March, we have witnessed sustained inflows at Malindi Port—a situation we can only describe as being victims of our own success,” he said.

Mr Akif noted that the port typically handles around 500,000 metric tonnes of general cargo annually, yet in April alone, it recorded 147,000 metric tonnes—nearly 29 percent of the yearly volume handled in a single month.

This spike, he added, is largely driven by ongoing infrastructure projects across the islands.

“To address the challenge, we are fast-tracking the commissioning of the Mangapwani bulk terminal, where two successful test runs have already been conducted,” he said.

He further revealed that the authority is collaborating with Fumba Port to complete the land craft platform within the next three months, allowing vessels to offload cargo there and helping to ease congestion at the Malindi Port.

“We are optimistic that by September 2026, a new jetty at Fumba will be operational, expanding our berthing capacity fivefold and reducing waiting times by up to 80 percent,” he added.

Mr Akif also said discussions are ongoing with shipping lines to find short-term solutions and expressed confidence that normal operations could resume within two weeks.