DP World to Launch China Africa Link Shipping Service
The weekly service connecting China and Africa is scheduled to begin in late November 2026.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Transportation
DP World's Shipping Solutions AMEA business will launch the China Africa Link, a weekly shipping service linking Far East and African ports, with commencement scheduled for late November 2026. The rotation includes Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Port Klang Westport, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, and Singapore.
Why it matters
DP World says customers need reliable connections, greater choice, and flexibility as trade patterns evolve between China and Africa. The service is intended to add routing options for machinery, electronics, construction materials, and automotive components moving out of China, and agricultural products and minerals moving out of Africa.
The service runs a weekly rotation of Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Port Klang Westport, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Singapore, then back to Shanghai. Freight rates, vessel capacity and transit times for the route have not been disclosed.
The players
DP World
DP World is a Dubai-based global port operator and logistics company that manages container terminals and maritime services across multiple continents.
The details
DP World describes the China Africa Link as an example of its Connected Trade Corridors approach, which combines maritime solutions, ports and inland transport. The launch is paired with infrastructure work, including a $165 million expansion of the Maputo container terminal designed to more than double handling capacity and more than $500 million committed to modernising the Port of Dar es Salaam.
Timeline
Late November 2026: China Africa Link service scheduled to commence.
Trade Corridor Shift
The launch fits a broader pattern of growing maritime links between China and African ports, a trend that has accelerated alongside Chinese port and infrastructure investment on the continent. DP World's Maputo and Dar es Salaam expansions add capacity to ports the new route calls at, reinforcing that trajectory.
Importers and exporters moving goods between China and Africa will gain an additional weekly routing option once the service starts in late November 2026. Businesses planning shipments for that period can begin evaluating the new rotation against existing carriers.
The takeaway
Shippers should watch for published rates and transit times ahead of the late November 2026 start, as the rotation may suit businesses seeking alternatives to existing China-Africa routings.
Further reading
Explore more on Transportation developments shaping global trade routes between Asia and Africa.
