The Banana Port project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is emerging as one of the most significant developments in Central African logistics—with the potential to transform the country’s access to global shipping and regional trade flows.
Located on the Atlantic coast in Kongo Central province, the Banana site is being developed into the DRC’s first deep-water container port, offering direct access to international maritime routes at the mouth of the Congo River. Previously a modest local port facility, the site has gained strategic importance due to its potential to serve as a modern logistics hub, reducing reliance on upstream river ports like Matadi and opening direct routes for containerized imports and exports.
The project is being driven by a long-term collaboration between the government of the DRC and global port operator DP World, under a 30-year concession. Construction of the initial phase includes a 600-meter quay, an 18-meter draft, and a container handling capacity of around 450,000 TEU annually, with a 30-hectare yard for storage and logistics operations.
Work on the Banana port infrastructure—including dredging, quay extension, and multimodal connections—is advancing, with key preparatory milestones completed and future phases planned to extend capacity further. When operational, Banana is expected to attract direct calls from larger ocean vessels, significantly reducing transport costs and transit times for Congolese trade and bolstering the country’s “sovereign access” to maritime markets.
For the DRC, a country with one of Africa’s largest land areas but limited direct ocean access, Banana Port promises to reshape its logistics landscape by enabling more efficient imports and exports of containers, bulk goods, and natural resources, and by reinforcing the country’s role in regional supply chains.
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