It doesn't always have to be an import

In some sub-Saharan African countries, a shipbuilding industry is emerging that can also fulfil military orders. The Republic of South Africa is leading the way.

While African navies continue to import the majority of their equipment, a few countries on the continent have their own shipyard industry that is focussed on both the maintenance and production of ships and boats. In general, the African market is limited to smaller units up to the size of an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) and growth prospects for local shipyards are largely limited to the regional level. One exception is the shipbuilding industry in the Republic of South Africa, which is also active globally as an exporter.

Kenya

Kenya is only just beginning to develop its own military shipbuilding capacity. The first shipyard has already been built at the Mtongwe naval base near Mombasa. The general contractor for the project is the Dutch company Damen, which already operates several foreign shipyards. The ground-breaking ceremony for the new facility took place in April 2019, and it was inaugurated in December 2021 in the presence of Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The shipyard's slipway can handle ships with a displacement of up to 4000 tonnes and a length of 150 metres. There are two ship halls on the site. The larger building is 150 metres long and 30 metres high, while the smaller hall measures 120 metres in length, 20 metres in height and 13 metres in width.

The Kenyan patrol boat Shujaa, photo: MoD Kenya

Until it was commissioned, only units with a displacement of up to 950 tonnes and a length of 60 metres could be repaired or overhauled at the Kenya Navy Dockyard, the maintenance facility at the Mtongwe base, which was built in 1988. Larger ships previously had to be sent abroad for maintenance. The new facilities should save both time and foreign currency. In addition, it should also serve as a catalyst for Kenya's maritime economy. "We will be able to repair our own naval units here and even build new ships ourselves," explained Defence Minister Raychelle Omama. "We will also be able to take on repair orders for ships from other countries in East Africa and the surrounding region."