DP World has invested as much as $4 billion in the last five years across Africa and plans to commit another $4 billion to new port development, corridors, and logistics. Mohammed Akoojee, DP World's chief executive officer and managing director for Africa, said the company remains 'bullish' on its expansion plans in Africa even as the continent faces inflation from the Iran war caused by surging fuel prices. The firm is continuing projects to expand Maputo Port in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo's first deep-water port, scheduled for completion by the first quarter of next year.
The surge in petrol and diesel costs used in operations threatens to dampen economic activity across the continent; DP World acknowledged it has had to increase pricing, which results in inflation. Akoojee told Bloomberg Television in an interview on the sidelines of a conference in Kigali, Rwanda, that if the war continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, there will be a deeper impact on Africa. The closure of the strait has disrupted some shipping corridors into Africa by isolating DP World's major Jebel Ali hub in Dubai; this has in turn affected cargo flows to Berbera in Somalia and onward into Ethiopia.
Investment is increasingly going into infrastructure that also connects ports to regional supply routes, including links between Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia and Congo. Akoojee said, 'Our business has changed from just being a port business to becoming more of an ecosystem for logistics, for trade'. In April 2026 DP World launched the Brazil–Africa Logistics Corridor, providing a seamless end-to-end solution connecting export flows from the Port of Santos to operations in Angola, Mozambique and South Africa, with access to 3 port terminals, 52 warehouses, and more than 4,250 vehicles. Fuel prices across many African nations have surged between 24% and 81% as of early May 2026; diesel prices in Kenya rose 24%, while Malawi saw jet-fuel hikes as high as 81%.
The IMF has cut its 2026 sub-Saharan Africa growth forecast to 4.3%, down 0.3 percentage points from its pre-war estimate, citing the economic spillover from the US-Israel conflict with Iran; median inflation in the region is projected to reach 5% by year-end. The International Energy Agency stated the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to regional infrastructure have produced the largest disruption to the global oil market in its history. Nevertheless, DP World continues its strategy to expand port capacity, enhance logistics connectivity and improve market access across Africa.
Note: This summary draws on SupplyChainBrain's publicly visible headline + subhead + opening paragraph and on sector background on African logistics infrastructure and Iran war energy impacts.
Key Takeaways:
1. DP World invested $4bn in Africa over the past 5 years and plans to commit another $4bn in port, corridor and logistics development
2. Iran war and Strait of Hormuz closure drove African fuel prices up 24–81%, raising logistics costs across the continent
3. Hormuz crisis isolated DP World's Dubai Jebel Ali hub, disrupting cargo flows to Berbera (Somalia) and Ethiopia
4. Maputo Port (Mozambique) expansion and DRC's Banana deep-water port (Q1 2027 target) anchor the firm's Africa pipeline
5. IMF cut sub-Saharan Africa 2026 growth forecast 0.3pp to 4.3%; median inflation projected to reach 5% by year-end
