20ft Shipping Container
Approx. 33.2 m³
The standard 6.06 m ISO dry container: 33.2 m³ of volume, up to 28 t of payload, and the easiest size to move by road almost anywhere in the world.
Region
Shipping Containers for African Buyers
Supply from European depots to African ports, quoted on Incoterms with the destination-side responsibilities stated explicitly.
- New & used
- Single & bulk orders
- Named destination port
- Delivered pricing
Africa is one of the strongest markets for European used container equipment, and the trade flow is well established: units come off-hire in Europe in greater volume than the European market absorbs, and move south to markets where demand for storage, conversion and trade equipment is growing.
What separates a good African purchase from a bad one is rarely the container. It is whether the buyer and seller agreed clearly on where responsibility changes hands, and whether the destination-side costs were understood before the vessel sailed rather than after it arrived.
Getting the commercial terms right first
For any African destination we quote on Incoterms, and the quotation states what sits on each side. Under CFR or CIF to a named port, import duty, port charges at destination, customs clearance and inland haulage remain the buyer's responsibility. That is standard, and stating it plainly avoids the dispute that otherwise happens at the destination terminal.
The three-way distinction between buying a container, shipping an empty container as cargo, and loading your own goods into one is set out on worldwide delivery. It matters more here than anywhere, because all three are common in this trade.
Documentation and inspection regimes
Several African import regimes require documentation beyond the commercial invoice and bill of lading — pre-shipment or destination inspection, conformity assessment, or a certificate of origin. Requirements change, and they are set by the importing country, not by us.
Tell us at RFQ stage what your import regime requires. Some certificates must be arranged before the unit ships and cannot be issued retrospectively; discovering that at the destination port is expensive.
Quantity and freight economics
For most African destinations the ocean freight component is significant relative to the value of a used container, which is why the trade tends towards lots rather than single units. Whether a single container is viable depends entirely on the destination and the rate at the time.
We will tell you honestly when a quantity does not make commercial sense on a route, rather than quoting a number that makes the enquiry look answerable.
Ports commonly named on African enquiries
Naming the destination port on the RFQ is the single most useful thing you can do. A quotation to "Nigeria" is guesswork; a quotation to Tin Can Island is a price.
- West Africa — Tema and Takoradi (Ghana), Lagos/Apapa and Tin Can (Nigeria), Abidjan, Lomé, Cotonou, Dakar
- East Africa — Mombasa (Kenya), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti
- Southern Africa — Durban, Cape Town, Walvis Bay
- North Africa — Casablanca, Alexandria, Tunis
How supply and shipment are put together
Overseas supply separates into two questions that are often confused: which container you are buying, and how it reaches the destination you named.
Destination
You name the discharge port or the inland destination, and the specification.
Supply option
Suitable availability is assessed against that destination and against what can actually be booked to it, which is not always the nearest source of stock.
Shipment
Ocean freight on agreed Incoterms, with the responsibilities on each side written down before anything moves.
Quotation
Container, origin handling and freight to the agreed point, with destination charges identified rather than buried.
Buying a container and shipping cargo in it are two different transactions
A container bought as equipment and a container booked as freight are not the same movement, and conflating them is where overseas enquiries usually go wrong. Tell us which one you need. If the unit is to carry your cargo on the same voyage, that changes the condition requirement, the CSC position and the booking — and it is far cheaper to establish before the quotation than after it.
Containers supplied to Africa
Specialist types
New or used
Both are supplied to every market we quote. The choice is about what the container has to do once it arrives.
New / one trip
- Appearance matters at the destination
- Long-term ownership is intended
- The unit will be converted or modified
- Recent production is preferred
Used
- Storage is the primary purpose
- Budget is the deciding factor
- Cosmetic condition is secondary
- Cargo worthy or wind and watertight meets the requirement
What decides an overseas quotation
Four variables carry most of the cost and nearly all of the risk of a surprise.
Discharge port
The named destination port, which determines the routing, the sailing options and a large part of the freight cost.
Incoterm
Where our responsibility ends and yours begins. This decides who pays destination handling, and it is worth agreeing explicitly.
Destination charges
Terminal handling, documentation and any local charges at discharge. We identify them rather than leaving them to arrive later.
Inland leg
Delivery beyond the port is a separate arrangement in most markets, and is quoted as such where it can be arranged at all.
Container supply by market
Destination pages for the markets we are asked about most. Each one covers what actually differs there rather than restating this page with a different name.
- GhanaSupply from European depots to Tema and Takoradi, quoted on Incoterms with destination-side responsibilities stated up front.
- NigeriaSupply from European depots to Lagos, Tin Can Island and the eastern ports, quoted on Incoterms to a named terminal.
- KenyaSupply from European depots to Mombasa, the gateway for Kenya and much of the East African interior.
European logistics gateways
Major container gateways that may be relevant to supply or to international logistics, depending on the transaction. Listing a port here says where equipment concentrates in this trade — it is not a statement that we operate there.
Port delivery options- Antwerp
- Hamburg
- Rotterdam
How a gateway fits the movement
- Supply point
- Road or terminal move
- Gateway port
- Ocean freight
- Destination
What we need in order to quote
Five things. A named destination port is worth more than any other single line on an overseas enquiry.
Container
Quantity
Destination
Terms
Commercial
Frequently asked questions
Can you deliver containers to a port in Africa?
We quote to a named destination port on agreed Incoterms. What happens after discharge — duty, port charges, clearance and inland transport — is the buyer's responsibility unless the quotation expressly includes it.
What documents come with the container?
Normally a commercial invoice, the bill of lading and export declaration documentation, with the ISO 6346 container number identifying each unit. Anything additional required by your import regime must be specified at RFQ stage.
Do you sell container lots to African dealers?
Yes. Lot purchases are the normal shape of this trade. State the quantity, the grades acceptable to you and the destination port, and the quotation can be built against actual depot availability.