Fresh but fragile: African perishables need a logistics fix

Africa is a key supplier of fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables to global markets, yet high logistics costs and infrastructure challenges threaten its competitiveness. Air freight shortages, weak cold chain networks, and unpredictable shipping routes create major hurdles for exporters. As the industry seeks solutions, collaboration between airlines, policymakers, and logistics providers is critical to unlocking Africa’s perishable trade potential.

“Growers are investing significant money in production, but the high cost of logistics is squeezing their profit margins.”
Lasitha Perera, EFL Global

The cost of moving perishables
Logistics costs in Africa remain significantly higher than in other regions.“Our transport costs are between $5 to $8 per kilometre per TEU, compared to $1 to $2 per kilometre in Asia,” says Agayo Ogambi, Chief Executive Officer, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA).

According to him, these high costs are driven by poor road conditions leading to longer transit times, traffic congestion and delays at checkpoints and a lack of dedicated lanes for perishable cargo at weighbridges. Both air and sea freight rates are high, making it difficult for businesses — especially SMEs — to remain competitive.

Talking particularly about Kenyan perishable exporters, Okisegere Ojepat, Chief Executive Officer, Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPC Kenya), said “The cost of freight is the single most expensive part of this business.”

Kenya relies heavily on air freight to transport its fresh produce to markets in Europe and beyond.

“We had the product, we had buyers, but we had no way to move it. This kind of disruption leads to waste and financial losses.”
Raphael Kiptis, Sian Roses

High costs, low capacity air freight
For instance, Habiba Ben Barka, Chief of Africa Section, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) noted “90 percent of all Kenyan flowers move by air,” highlighting the industry’s dependence on sufficient air cargo capacity.

However, seasonal fluctuations and shifting airline priorities often lead to capacity shortages, as airlines divert resources to more profitable routes such as China and the U.S.

Raphael Kiptis, Head of Finance, Sian Roses, one of Kenya’s largest flower exporters, emphasised that air freight capacity remains the biggest challenge for exporters. “In peak seasons, space is scarce, and freight rates surge, squeezing margins for growers,” he explained.

In late 2024, a drop in air cargo capacity from Nairobi to Europe left exporters struggling to find space. “We had the product, we had buyers, but we had no way to move it. This kind of disruption leads to waste and financial losses,” Kiptis noted.

He urged airlines to commit to more predictable capacity planning rather than shifting resources based on short-term demand fluctuations.

Meanwhile, Patrice Ngenga, Technical, Standards and Compliance Officer Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), highlighted that air freight rates have made exports prohibitively expensive for many producers.

FPEAK is lobbying the government to allow more foreign cargo carriers, including Ethiopian Airlines, to operate in Kenya and ease the freight bottleneck. “We have pushed the government to reduce landing costs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to attract more airlines, but progress has been slow,” he said.

Jessie Brar-Patel, Chief Executive Officer, Fresh Flow Logistics, pointed to Ethiopian Airlines’ dedicated perishable cargo strategy as a model Kenya should adopt. Ethiopia’s national carrier has prioritised perishables, ensuring stable freight rates and predictable capacity. “In Kenya, we lack a cohesive national air cargo strategy. Ethiopian Airlines has given Ethiopian exporters a competitive edge, whereas we’re still fighting for cargo space every peak season,” Brar-Patel said.

She believes Kenya needs stronger collaboration between policymakers, airlines, and logistics providers. “We need a long-term solution, whether it’s government incentives for local carriers or securing dedicated perishable freighters,” she emphasised.

Adding to it, Lasitha Perera, Head of Business Development & Commercial - Perishables, EFL Global, said, “Growers are investing significant money in production, but the high cost of logistics is squeezing their profit margins.”

To prevent such disruptions in the future, SCEA is pushing for government incentives to attract freighters back to Nairobi, strengthening Kenya Airways’ cargo capacity to reduce reliance on foreign airlines and improving planning and forecasting between exporters and airlines to ensure cargo space availability during peak seasons.

Ogambi emphasised the need for long-term solutions that go beyond temporary adjustments. “If we don’t create a reliable and predictable cargo system, we will always be at the mercy of external market forces,” he warned.

Another one of the most pressing concerns for fresh produce exporters in the region is the impact of the Red Sea crisis on shipping routes. The ongoing conflict has forced vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, extending transit times by up to 20 additional days.

“The frequency of vessels needs to improve. If we could have multiple departures per week instead of just one, it would significantly reduce delays.”
Okisegere Ojepat, FPC Kenya

Shipping as a risky alternative
“For products like avocados, which already have a limited shelf life, this additional time at sea increases the risk of quality deterioration,” explains Ngenga.

The situation is particularly difficult for exporters relying on sea freight, which is expected to handle 50 percent of Kenya’s fresh produce exports by 2030. To mitigate losses, exporters are seeking technological solutions that enhance packaging and improve temperature control during prolonged transit. However, such innovations require significant investment, which many smaller exporters struggle to afford.

Mombasa Port remains the primary gateway for trade in East Africa, serving Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, with port throughput increasing by 14.5 percent from 2023 to 2024, the port’s capacity is struggling to keep up. “We need to ensure that we have capacity before demand,” said Ogambi.

Despite recent expansions and improved transhipment volumes, inefficiencies persist due to outdated equipment and slow cargo handling. To address this, the SCEA is advocating for port expansion projects. With 32 percent of Mombasa’s cargo destined for neighbouring countries, improving efficiency is not just a national concern but a regional priority.

Ojepat also stressed that operational efficiency remains a challenge in Mombasa Port. “The frequency of vessels needs to improve. If we could have multiple departures per week instead of just one, it would significantly reduce delays,” he explained.

He also emphasised the importance of regional collaboration with Uganda and Rwanda to consolidate cargo volumes and attract larger shipping vessels to Mombasa.

According to Ben Barka, “Infrastructure is a significant barrier to the free flow of goods and services across the continent.” While strides have been made in other sectors, transport infrastructure — particularly air and road networks — has seen little progress.

“Infrastructure is a significant barrier to the free flow of goods and services across the continent.”
Habiba Ben Barka, UN Trade and Development

Cold chain bottleneck
For perishables like flowers and fresh produce, maintaining quality from farm to market is paramount. However, infrastructure remains underdeveloped across Africa, leading to high post-harvest losses and increased operational costs. “One key challenge would be the cold chain, which is a challenge in a lot of the countries,” said Ben Barka, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to strengthen refrigerated storage and transport networks.

Despite Kenya’s position as a major exporter of fresh produce, cold chain infrastructure at the farm level remains inadequate—especially for smallholder farmers. “Our biggest challenge is at the production areas, where smallholders lack pre-cooling and storage facilities,” said Ojepat.

While large farms have their own cold storage facilities, small-scale farmers must rely on aggregation centres to keep produce fresh before transportation. However, the high cost of energy and limited access to green energy solutions make it difficult to establish cold chain infrastructure in rural areas.

To address this, Ojepat emphasises the need for public-private partnerships to invest in solar-powered cold storage units and improve access to refrigerated transport. “Without proper first-mile cooling, we risk compromising the quality of our produce before it even reaches the pack house,” he noted.

Ngenga reminded, “If the cold chain is broken during transport, the benefits of pre-cooling at the farm level are lost.”

The government and private sector must invest in refrigerated transport solutions and improve road infrastructure to ensure produce arrives at processing hubs in optimal condition.

On the positive side, over the past 25 years, Kenya’s perishable logistics ecosystem has undergone major infrastructure advancements, according to Brar-Patel.

Freight forwarders now have their own cold storage and vacuum cooling facilities rather than relying solely on ground handlers. Growers have invested in farm-level cold storage to maintain product quality from harvest to shipment. Road infrastructure improvements, including Nairobi’s expressway, have reduced transit times for perishable goods. “The biggest transformation has been in temperature-controlled transport. Today, growers use refrigerated trucks to ensure a seamless cold chain, which was unheard of two decades ago,” Brar-Patel noted.

Meanwhile, Perera highlighted the need for continued investments in first-mile cooling solutions at farms and logistics hubs. “Pre-cooling is essential to extending shelf life. The more growers and logistics providers invest in vacuum cooling, the better the product quality in the final market,” he said.

Kenya has several regional airports that could ease the burden on JKIA, yet most remain underutilised, again, due to infrastructure gaps. Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret airports could play a significant role in decentralising perishable exports, but they lack essential facilities.

“Only 20 wagons on the SGR are equipped for refrigerated cargo, which is insufficient given the volume of fresh produce moving to the port.”
Patrice Ngenga, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya

Integrating air, rail, road
“Kisumu is surrounded by agricultural counties, but without proper cold chain facilities, exporters are forced to transport produce over 450 kilometres to Nairobi,” Ojepat said.

Mombasa International Airport, despite handling return charter flights from Europe, is not widely used for perishables because there is no local cold chain ecosystem to support fresh produce exports.

Caleb Kositany, Chair of the Board, Kenya Airports Authority, emphasised Kenya’s commitment to multimodal transport integration, which is crucial for both intra-African and global trade.

He was speaking during the inaugural session of the recently concluded air cargo Africa and transport logistic Africa 2025 in Nairobi.

A key initiative in this direction is the development of a sea-air terminal at Moi International Airport in Mombasa, which will allow inbound sea freight to be seamlessly transferred to air cargo for rapid distribution to landlocked East African countries. “Investors should pay attention to Mombasa. Once this facility is operational, it will transform the speed and efficiency of cargo movement in the region,” Kositany said.

Kenya is also leveraging its strategic location by improving road infrastructure, such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor and expanding Isiolo International Airport as a vital regional logistics hub. “Isiolo’s location in the heart of Kenya makes it an ideal hub for air cargo distribution across Africa,” he added.

Kenya’s push for more sea freight exports is hindered by infrastructure gaps, particularly in rail connectivity to the Mombasa port. Although the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) offers a faster alternative to road transport, its limited capacity for reefer (refrigerated) containers remains a challenge. “Only 20 wagons on the SGR are equipped for refrigerated cargo, which is insufficient given the volume of fresh produce moving to the port,” Ngenga said.

Kenya Railways has committed to expanding reefer capacity, but until that happens, many exporters must rely on costly trucking solutions, further increasing logistics costs. “There are ongoing test trials to move reefer containers by rail, which will help address the challenges of carbon emissions and transport efficiency,” Ogambi noted.

“We’ve seen major improvements with the Nairobi expressway and plans for a highway to Mombasa, which will drastically improve cargo movement,” Perera added. “The ability to efficiently move goods between Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda is critical for trade diversification,” he added.

Talking about diversification, Kenya’s perishable exports remain heavily reliant on the European market, leaving exporters vulnerable to economic shifts and regulatory changes. However, the industry is actively seeking new destinations in Asia, the Middle East, and North America.

“If we don’t create a reliable and predictable cargo system, we will always be at the mercy of external market forces.”
Agayo Ogambi, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa

Markets beyond Europe
While Kenya has secured market access to India and China for avocados, high import tariffs (30% in India) and strict fumigation requirements in China have made these markets less attractive. “We are working with the government to negotiate lower tariffs in India and seeking alternative treatment methods for China to avoid quality deterioration,” Ngenga stated.

Despite these hurdles, the UAE and South Korea are emerging as promising markets. Ojepat believes diversifying to India, China, and the Middle East is critical for long-term sustainability.

Africa’s perishable exports hold immense potential but face logistics hurdles—from high costs and air freight shortages to cold chain gaps. Strengthening collaboration, investing in multimodal transport, and improving infrastructure are key to unlocking growth. With the right strategies, Africa can build a resilient supply chain and expand its global reach.

The article was originally published in the March-April 2025 issue of Logistics Update Africa.