Ports, factories and logistics: Africa's economic zones are growing up

PANM — Africa's special economic zones are turning into something bigger: industrial hubs that put ports, factories, processing and logistics side by side, Daily Maverick reports, drawing on Bird Story Agency.

Where it is happening

• Kenya: construction has started on the planned Dangote refinery in Lamu, part of a proposed $16 billion complex. DP World and GulfCap Africa have agreed to build the 222-hectare Mombasa Industrial Park, where more than 60 companies have shown interest and over 20,000 jobs are projected, and the government has allocated about $572 million for infrastructure at the 3,000-acre Dongo Kundu zone, which will include a free port.
• Nigeria: DP World, Ogun State and the Ogun Deep Sea Port Company are exploring a 10,000-hectare port and zone. In Lagos, the Lekki Deep Sea Port sits inside the Lagos Free Zone, developed with the experience of the Tolaram group.
• Togo: Togo Soja shipped its first export of processed shea butter from the Adétikopé Industrial Platform on 1 October. Togo has taxed raw cashew, soybean and shea exports since January to encourage processing at home.
• South Africa: the Coega zone, beside the Port of Ngqura, had 67 operating investors and more than 11,000 jobs by the end of its 2024 financial year.

Why investors care

Osam Iyahen of the Africa Finance Corporation said successful zones keep more value in Africa, create jobs and lift exports, helping countries move from shipping raw commodities to processing and manufacturing. The AFC invested $150 million in Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms in 2020 to expand into Benin and Togo. Agility Africa's chief executive, Geoffrey White, said its ready-built warehouse parks, now in five countries, take land and construction risk off companies entering new markets; about a third of tenants are small and medium-sized firms.

Source: Daily Maverick, reporting by Bonface Orucho for Bird Story Agency, 15 October 2026.