(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroonian company Gulfcam plans to relaunch container transshipment between the ports of Douala and Kribi by late 2025 or early 2026, its CEO Albert Roger Boum announced on October 2 during celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Port of Douala.
“This project, studied for several years, offers an alternative to importers and exporters facing difficulties due to the poor condition of the road between Douala and Kribi,” Boum said.
Maritime cabotage will bypass road constraints and allow large vessels, which cannot access the shallow port of Douala, to unload goods at the deepwater port of Kribi. Cargo will then be moved to Douala by smaller ships. The service previously operated between 2020 and 2022 before being suspended.
Currently, transporting a container by road between Kribi and Douala takes at least three hours. Cabotage would allow faster, larger-volume, and cheaper transfers. “A flatbed truck carries at most two containers, while a cabotage ship can handle 500. This reduces the unit cost for operators,” Boum explained.
Gulfcam plans to charter vessels initially, while building demand and awareness, before acquiring its own fleet. The company draws on expertise from the 2021 merger of Gulfin (oil transport) and Camship-CLGG (cabotage), which itself stemmed from Cameroon Shipping Lines (Camship), privatized in 1997.
The project’s success also depends on government support. Customs has pledged to simplify transshipment procedures, while associated handling costs will be bundled to minimize operator expenses. A dedicated cabotage quay is being designed at Douala port to ease congestion at the container terminal.
With this relaunch, Gulfcam becomes the first national operator in a sector long dominated by foreign companies. The initiative is expected to increase the firm’s revenues, generate state tax income, and create jobs.
By improving transport efficiency, the project should also reduce fuel use and carbon emissions, while offering operators a practical solution to move cargo until stronger road and rail links to Kribi are built.
