Hapag-Lloyd establishes new office in Kampala, strengthening presence in East Africa

UGANDA – Hapag-Lloyd, a global leader in liner shipping, has officially inaugurated its new office in Kampala, Uganda, marking a strategic expansion into East and Central Africa. 

With a population of approximately 50 million and an economy projected to grow by 5.9% in 2024, Uganda is increasingly recognized as a vital market on the African continent.

Though landlocked, Uganda is a critical trade hub for the region, relying on neighboring ports such as Mombasa in Kenya and Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania for international trade. 

In 2023, the Port of Mombasa handled around 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of exports, with 22% of the volume originating from Uganda. Most of this cargo is transported by truck, emphasizing Uganda’s role as a connector in regional trade.

Lars Sorensen, Senior Managing Director for the Middle East Region at Hapag-Lloyd, highlighted the strategic importance of the new location. 

“Uganda plays a vital role in the export landscape of Africa and continues to see economic growth. Opening our office in Kampala is part of our long-term strategy to establish an early presence in emerging markets with high potential,” he said.

“With Kampala as our new hub, we can strengthen our position in the African market, improve service delivery, and better meet the needs of our customers both in Uganda and neighboring regions.”

The new office will be led by Prashant Sindhwani and staffed with five employees. Positioned in Kampala, the office aims to support regional trade by facilitating exports such as dry hides from South Sudan, cocoa from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and coffee from Rwanda.

Uganda’s strategic location also enables it to serve as a packaging and consolidation hub for a diverse range of commodities moving across East Africa, further solidifying its position as a regional trade facilitator.

Hapag-Lloyd operates a fleet of 292 modern container ships with a transport capacity of 2.3 million TEU, offering services through 113 liner routes connecting over 600 ports globally. 

The company has 399 offices across 139 countries and maintains one of the world’s largest reefer container fleets. In addition to its liner shipping services, Hapag-Lloyd has equity stakes in 20 terminals worldwide, providing complementary logistics services to enhance supply chain efficiency.