Port Overview 

The Matadi Port managed by SCTP (Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports) is located on the left bank of the Congo River and 150 km upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. The port is 1,610 m long and fitted with 11 quays. Containers, general cargo and bulk are the main vessel types here. Matadi is the main import/export gateway of the West. 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Democratic Republic of Congo
Province or District	Kongo Central
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port	Matadi
Port's Complete Name	Port International de Matadi
Latitude	-5.826111
Longitude	13.46917
Managing Company or Port Authority	SCTP (Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports)
Management Contact Person	Directeur Technique : Daniel BULUNGIDI   + 243 998 126 158 kabulungidi@gmail.com  Délégué Commercial : Olivier MBU TSHIBUMGU  + 243 852 418 723
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	n/a

Port Picture 

View of the Port of Matadi from the road to Boma 

 

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

Most of the companies operating at SCTP Matadi Port are forwarding agents (E.g.GTM, Connexafrica, Amicongo) and trucking companies (e.g. NRJ, Afritrans, Sotraco). 
 
CMA-CGM is the main shipping company serving the SCTP Matadi Port. 
 
For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Company Contact List and 4.8 Transporters Contact List.  

Port Performance 

SCTP Matadi Port is not deep enough to handle large vessels therefore the cargo needs to be transferred to feeder ships at neighboring ports. With the opening of the modern private MGT Matadi Port in 2016, the competitiveness of SCTP Matadi’s port declined. In 2022 the port captured 25% of the freight traffic.  

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	From October to May
Major Import Campaigns	No	n/a

 

Handling Figures for 2021
Vessel Calls	243
Container Traffic (TEUs)	58,943

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2021
Bulk (mt)	1,724,017
Break bulk (mt)	1,724,017

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length  (m)	Maximum  Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional	4	626	8	Berths #1 and #2 are under rehabilitation    Only #3 and #4 are in service
Container	3	524	8	Berths #5, #6 & #7
General and Mix	3	460	8	Berths #8, #9 & #10
Silo Berth	1	n/a	n/a	Berth #11 dedicated to the flour milling company MIDEMA
Berthing Tugs  Water Barges	1	75	n/a

General Cargo Handling Berths 

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	Berths #3 and #4
Exports - Bagged Cargo
Imports and Exports - RoRo	n/a
Other Imports	Berths from #5 to #10

Port Handling Equipment 

Port handling equipment is managed by SCTP, however, many of the equipment is damaged, broken or outdated such as dock cranes with a maximum capacity of six tons. It forms a serious limitation to handling activities and attracting new customers. Moreover, the SCTP Matadi Port has limited financial means to purchase spare parts and perform regular maintenance.   

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	Yes	28, lifting 3 to 6 tons	Only 4 in service
Container Gantries	Yes	3	In service
Mobile Cranes	No
Reach stacker	Yes	13 (45 tons capacity each)	Only 4 in service
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator w/Bagging Machines	Yes	Available at Berth #11 and dedicated to the flour milling company MIDEMA
Transtainer	Yes	2	Out of service, needs to be repaired
Forklifts	Yes	27, lifting 2 to 5 tons	Only 7 in service

Container Facilities  

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	Yes	Yes
Refrigerated Container Stations	Yes	Yes
Other Capacity Details	Container yard area with a capacity of 4,700 TEUs in 4 TIR
Daily Take Off Capacity   (Containers per Hour)	6 containers per hour
Number of Reefer Stations   (Connection Points)	60 units x 2
Emergency Take-off Capacity	n/a
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift   (Containers per Shift)	n/a

Container yard area

Reefer yard area

Customs Guidance

The DGDA office (Direction Générale des Douanes et Accises) is open from Monday to Saturday (8:00-18:00). The port is equipped with a cargo mobile scanner provided by their partner AUFS (Africa Union Financial Services) and the device has a capacity to screen one hundred fifty containers per hour. 
The OCC (Office Congolais de Contrôle), DGM (Direction Générale de Migration) and PNHF/ SQAV – (Programme National de l'Hygiène aux Frontières / Service de Quarantaine Animale et Végétale)    are also represented at the port. 

Cargo mobile scanner

 

For more information on customs in Democratic Republic of Congo, please see the following link:

1.3 Customs Information.   

Terminal Information 

Multipurpose terminal 

The SCTP Matadi Port is a multipurpose terminal allowing the handling of containers, bulk and bagging cargo.  
 

Grain and bulk handling 

Grain and bulk handling are performed at Berth #11 by the flour milling company Minoterie de Matadi (MIDEMA). The company is renting the berth to the SCTP Matadi Port and owns its handling equipment and materials (e.g. dock cranes).

Main storage terminal 

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Location	Total Area (m²)
Bagged Cargo	4 (Warehouse A-B-C-D)	Berths #1 to #4	17 000 m²
	Open yard area	Yard of warehouse A-B-C	15 000 m²
Containers	Open yard area	Berths #5 to #7	60 000 m²
General Cargo	3 (two floors per warehouse)	Berths #8 to #10	46 000 m²

Stevedoring 

Stevedoring activities are only provided by SCTP Matadi Port.

They work in three shifts: 

• from 06:30 to 14:30 

• from 14:30 to 22:30 

• from 22:30 to 06:30 

Each shift has an average of 30-50 daily workers with a supervisor. The salary is US$ 4 per shift and they are paid after twenty-two working days. 

Hinterland Information 

The port is connected with Kinshasa via a 355 km paved road (Route National #1) that is in a good condition (9 -11 hours by car). However, as there is only a single road exiting from the city to the port, the city of Matadi is congested. furthermore, Kinshasa – Matadi is a two-lane road with heavy traffic due to the high number of trucks. Accidents often occur which can lead to roads being blocked in both directions for several hours. 

The 365 kilometers Matadi – Kinshasa railway has not been operational for a few years and requires major rehabilitation. Dispatching containers by train could be a solution to reduce road congestion and can be supported by handling operations as the container terminal is already fitted with tracks. Currently, a south Africa company ARSS (African Rolling Stock Solution) is operating from the SCTP Matadi Port terminal to deliver coal to the surrounding cement plants in the Kongo Central (E.g. CIMKO, PPC, CICO).  

Port Security 

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level   (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police Boats	Yes
Fire Engines	Yes