Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo - 2.1.19 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Port of Ilebo
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Port Overview 

Port Location and Contact 

Country 

Republic Democratic of Congo  

Province or District 

Kasaï 

Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port 

Ilebo 

Port's Complete Name 

Port d’Ilebo 

Latitude 

-4.331938 

Longitude 

20.569453 

Managing Company or Port Authority 

 

SNCC 

Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer du Congo 

Management Contact Person 

Directeur de la Coordination  
Willy MIZUMI  

+ 243 814 070 505 / + 243 970 058 380 

 

Service Commerciale 

+ 243 824 190 169 / +243 972 744 292 

 

Service Transport  

+ 243 814247429 / +243 999 197 970 

Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures 

n/a 

 

The multimodal SNCC Port of Ilebo plays a crucial logistics role to supply the province considering the very poor condition of the road from Ilebo. Manufactured products, construction material, hydrocarbon etc.… arriving from Kinshasa by water barges are then delivered to Kananga and within the province by train. The local economy highly depends on the train to ensure a continuous business trade and supply within the province.  
 
Below an indicative lead time and subject to change without prior notice.

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Port Picture

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Kasai River view from the 500 m long quay and a water barge arriving from Kinshasa.

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

Warehouses along the quay are rented by private companies such like Beltexco, Afrifood, PPC Cemen, to supply their customers or distribution centers in Kananga and within the province.  
Beltexco also offers a river transportation service with a fleet of 20 water barges (400 to 600 mt each) and can be contracted from Kinshasa. 

Then, several forwarding agents based in the Port of Ilebo ensure transshipment, wagon bookings, taxes / charges payments and cargo follow up on behalf of the customers.  

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List

Port Performance 

Seasonal Constraints 

 

Occurs 

Time Frame 

Rainy Season 

Yes 

From August to April  

Other comments 

Inland traffic 

Rainy season is the peak of water traffic considering the elevated level of the river facilitating the navigation 

Train traffic 

Rainy season is the off peak of train traffic.  

There is one train per week compared with 2-3 trains per week during the dry season. Indeed, landslides often occur causing derailments then repairing/maintenance can take several days prior resuming of the train service.  

During rainy season, landslides often occur causing damaged tracks or train derailment on the legs Ilebo – Kananga – Ilebo. The resuming of train traffic can take several days or weeks depending on the maintenance and repairing duration. 

The SNCC port has a capacity to handle 300 mt per day .

Handling Figures for 2021 

Vessel Calls 

88 

 

Handling Figures Bulk for 2021 

Bulk (mt) 

18,743 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

Several charges and taxes applied then depend on the type of the goods (manufactured products, hydrocarbon, cereals…). Forwarding agents operating in the port are in the position to provide an accurate quote to the customers. The cost of a full loaded wagon may vary from 3500 USD to 5500 USD. 

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth 

Quantity 

Length 

(m) 

Comments 

Conventional Berth 

500 

The SEP Congo has a dedicated 60 m long quay and its tanker terminal located next to the port is also connected by tracks. 

Container Berth 

Water Barges 

Port Handling Equipment 

The port equipment is managed by the SNCC. 

Equipment 

Available 

 

Total Quantity and Capacity Available 

Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage 

Dockside Crane 

Yes 

12  
(Lifting 3 to 6 tons) 

Only 8 in service 

Container Gantries 

Yes 

1  

(40 tons capacity) 

In service 

Mobile Cranes 

Yes 

(65 tons capacity) 

In service 

 

Reachstacker 

No 

RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer) 

No 

Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines 

No 

Transtainer 

No 

Forklifts 

No 

 

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Customs Guidance 

DGDA office is open from Monday to Saturday then the below government offices are also represented to control either persons and/or goods:   

  • DGM - Direction Générale de Migration     

  • OCC - Office Congolais de Contrôle     

  • PNHF/ SQAV - Programme National de l'Hygiène aux Frontières / Service de Quarantaine Animale et Végétale     

For more information on customs in Democratic Republic of Congo, please see the following link:1.3 Customs Information. 

Main Storage Terminal 

Storage Type 

Number of Storage Facilities 

General Cargo 

The SNCC has two warehouses and offers 15 days free of charge if needed to complete the transshipment. However, the storage capacity is limited and it is recommended to transfer the goods once discharged at the port into the train to Kananga. 

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Stevedoring 

Labor work is organized under a local union and the contracting service is facilitated by the forwarding agents.  
The handling charge is 75 USD per loaded wagon.

Hinterland Information 

Cargo is only moved out from the port by train considering the very poor condition of the road to Kananga.  
As previously mentioned, a train carries a maximum of 15 wagons (40 mt each) and frequency will vary according to the season. Then, the SNCC allocates wagon among all the traders and there is no possibility to obtain a fully dedicated train. Therefore, spreading out of deliveries must be considered and contracting a forwarding agent at the port of Ilebo is recommended to ensure a regular wagon booking and cargo follow-up. 

The road Kananga – Ilebo is 367 km, two days drive in 4x4 with an overnight in Mweka or Kakangé. The road is in very poor condition and becomes difficult during the rainy season.  

(Source: Carte des contraintes d'accès - Axe Routier Kananga - Ilebo  DRC November 2020 - Logistics Cluster)  

 

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