West Africa has become a regular destination for 24,000 TEU vessels on the Asia-West Africa trade, following MSC's upgrade of its Africa Express Service and rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, reported London's Lloyd's List.

The diversion from Red Sea routes enabled real-world trials of ultra-large tonnage in West African ports, which are now supported by purpose-built terminals and a hub-and-spoke model.

Direct calls from Asia are reducing reliance on traditional Mediterranean transhipment hubs such as Tanger Med and Algeciras, as carriers shift strategies to favour West African destinations.

Analysts say the region's rise is no longer speculative, with infrastructure and service models now capable of handling the world's largest container ships.