Shipping from China to Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania in 2026: Air vs Sea, Transit Times and Published Prices

TL;DR

• Sea, port to port in 2026: South China to Mombasa about 26 to 38 days, to Lagos 35 to 48, to Tema 35 to 50, and full containers to Dar es Salaam 20 to 30. Add one to three weeks for consolidation and clearance.
• Air from Guangzhou on our current service: Nairobi about 11 days, Lagos about 12, Dar es Salaam about 12, Kano about 13, Accra about two weeks. Goods with batteries usually take longer.
• Routing: West Africa has no regular direct freighters from South China. Air cargo connects through Addis Ababa, and the Gulf crisis since March 2026 cut the alternative via Dubai and Doha.
• Extra costs in 2026: carrier surcharges to Kenya and Nigeria, and port dwell times of up to three weeks in Lagos.
• Published market prices: about USD 10 to 18 per kg by air and USD 210 to 550 per cubic metre by sea, depending on destination and on what is included. Data as checked on 6 October 2026.

Sea freight: transit by destination

For reference, CMA CGM’s West Africa Express service, announced in November 2023, scheduled Nansha to Lekki in 34 days and Nansha to Tema in 29; we could not confirm the 2026 rotation.

Air freight: routes and the Gulf crisis

Nairobi has the best connections: China Southern and Kenya Airways carry cargo from Guangzhou, and Astral Aviation flies a weekly Boeing 767 freighter between Nairobi and Guangzhou, resumed in July 2026. For Lagos and Accra there are no regular direct freighters from South China; most cargo connects in Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines, which serves 11 Chinese cities.

The Gulf route stopped working as a backup in March 2026. On 2 March Qatar Airways Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad suspended operations, and global air cargo capacity fell by 18% in a day according to Rotate data quoted by Air Cargo News. Ethiopian took a surge of transit bookings, and African air cargo demand in February 2026 was 21% higher than a year earlier, with the Africa-Asia corridor up 61.9%.

Surcharges and port delays in 2026

What the market publishes

These are prices published by other companies, checked on 6 October 2026, not Cargix rates. Read what each one includes before comparing.

Two things move the real price more than the rate per kg. The first is chargeable weight: air is charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight, so light bulky goods cost more than their weight suggests. The second is what is included: some prices are door to door with clearance, others stop at the port and add duties, clearance and delivery on top.

How to choose

1. Under about two weeks of stock left: air, and expect Addis Ababa routing for West Africa.
2. Regular replenishment: consolidated sea, planned six to eight weeks ahead, longer for Lagos.
3. Batteries, liquids and powders: declare them up front; they travel on separate services and take longer.
4. Compare like with like: ask every forwarder whether the price includes duties, VAT, clearance and delivery.

How Cargix handles Africa

We consolidate in Guangzhou and Yiwu and ship by sea or air to Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Tanzania, with clearance by licensed local partners. Each quote states the transit time and exactly what is included. Country guides: Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania.