DP World's Shipping Solutions AMEA business announced on 2 November 2026 that it is launching the China Africa Link, a new weekly shipping service designed to strengthen connectivity between the Far East and Africa. The service is scheduled to begin in late November and will link Chinese export gateways with the growing markets of East and Southern Africa, giving customers greater choice, wider market access, and more resilient supply chains.

The route and port rotation

The China Africa Link will operate a seven-port loop across China, Southeast Asia, and Africa. The rotation starts in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Nansha in China, continues to Port Klang Westport in Malaysia, then calls at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Maputo in Mozambique, before returning via Singapore to Shanghai.

The three Chinese calls cover major export regions: Shanghai and Ningbo serve the Yangtze River Delta manufacturing belt, while Nansha serves the Pearl River Delta in southern China. This gives exporters in both of China's biggest industrial regions a weekly departure option.

Including Port Klang Westport is a smart commercial move. It allows the service to pick up Southeast Asian transhipment cargo bound for Africa, not just direct China-Africa volumes. That widens the pool of cargo the loop can serve and can help support better vessel utilization.

What cargo will move on the service

On the Africa-bound leg, the service is aimed at machinery, electronics, construction materials, and automotive components from China. On the return leg, it is expected to carry African exports such as agricultural products, minerals, and other commodities. This balance reflects the two-way nature of a trade relationship that has been growing quickly.

Why the timing makes sense

Trade between China and Africa has expanded sharply. UNCTAD figures show trade between the two regions grew 18% year on year in 2025 to a record $348 billion. According to China's General Administration of Customs, China's exports to Africa were worth about $225 billion in 2025, while imports from Africa came to around $123 billion.

For shippers, a dedicated weekly service on the China to East Africa lane offers an alternative to transhipping through Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian hubs. That could mean fewer handling stages and potentially shorter transit times. With ongoing disruption in Gulf shipping this year, many businesses are also looking harder at routings that avoid congested or high-risk hubs, which makes additional direct capacity on this lane more valuable.

Dar es Salaam and Maputo as gateways

The two African ports on the rotation are important entry points for regional trade. Dar es Salaam is a key gateway for Tanzania and is commonly used to reach inland markets in East and Central Africa. Maputo plays a similar role for southern Africa, serving Mozambique and neighbouring economies. Together, they give the service access to both East African and Southern African import markets from a single loop.

Part of a bigger strategy

DP World says the China Africa Link is an example of its "Connected Trade Corridors" approach, which combines shipping services, ports, and inland transport into more integrated trade networks. Ganesh Raj, Global COO of Marine Services at DP World, said customers need reliable connections, greater choice, and the flexibility to adapt as trade patterns evolve, not just shipping capacity.

The launch also complements DP World's heavy investment in African infrastructure. In Mozambique, the company is carrying out a $165 million expansion of the Maputo container terminal, designed to more than double its handling capacity. In Tanzania, it has committed more than $500 million to modernizing the Port of Dar es Salaam. Together, these investments total more than $665 million across the two countries.

By pairing a shipping service with terminals it already invests in, DP World aims to offer a more connected product across the shipping leg, the port stay, and the inland move, rather than just ocean capacity on its own.

What we still don't know

DP World has not yet disclosed how many vessels will operate the service, their container capacity, or expected transit times between individual ports. The company has also not shared pricing or detailed cargo acceptance policies. Shippers will want those details before committing volume, so it is worth watching for further announcements closer to the launch date.

What it means for freight forwarders and shippers

  • Ask DP World or your carrier contacts for the first sailing schedule and cut-off times as soon as they are published.
  • Compare the expected transit time and total cost against your current routings via Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian transhipment hubs.
  • Check how inland connections from Dar es Salaam and Maputo fit your customers' final delivery points.
  • Consider whether weekly sailings from three Chinese ports can simplify consolidation for multi-origin cargo.

Key takeaways

  • DP World is launching the China Africa Link, a new weekly container service starting in late November 2026.
  • The rotation is Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Port Klang Westport, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Singapore, and back to Shanghai.
  • The service targets machinery, electronics, construction materials, and auto parts heading to Africa, plus African agricultural and mineral exports heading back.
  • China-Africa trade hit a record $348 billion in 2025, up 18% year on year, according to UNCTAD.
  • DP World is backing the service with more than $665 million in port investment in Mozambique and Tanzania.
  • Vessel count, capacity, and transit times have not yet been announced.

For freight forwarders and shippers moving cargo between China and East or Southern Africa, the China Africa Link adds a new weekly option to compare against existing routings, and it is worth tracking closely as more operational details emerge before the late November start.