Routes & Ports
Toamasina handles 90%
of Madagascar's seaborne trade.
Four deep-water services. Four major corridors. One terminal operator. Here is what every freight forwarder quoting Madagascar needs to know — before they quote.
5–7 d
Durban → Toamasina
PIL weekly direct
22–26 d
Shanghai → Toamasina
CMA CGM / MSC
Weekly
Vessel calls
CMA CGM, MSC, PIL
MICTSL
Terminal operator
CMA CGM Terminal majority
Shipping Lines
Services calling Toamasina
Actual vessel rotations and transit windows — not published schedules. We track what is calling and when.
CMA CGM
Phoenix / IOEX
Frequency
Weekly
Rotation
Asia → Singapore → Colombo → Mombasa → Toamasina → Port Louis → Durban
Transit
Shanghai 22–26d · Dubai 14–16d
Note
Primary deep-sea gateway. MICTSL terminal operator — priority berthing.
MSC
Indian Ocean loop
Frequency
Weekly
Rotation
Jebel Ali → Colombo → Port Louis → Toamasina → Dar es Salaam → Mombasa
Transit
Jebel Ali 13–15d · Mumbai 11–13d
Note
Gulf and South Asia origin freight. Strong reefer capacity for cold-chain mandates.
PIL
Indian Ocean Islands
Frequency
Ad-hoc
Rotation
Durban → Port Louis → Toamasina → Mahajanga → Mombasa → Durban
Transit
Durban 5–7d · Port Louis 2–3d
Note
South Africa and Mauritius corridor specialist. Ad-hoc service — confirm vessel call before booking. Best for SADC-origin cargo when sailing confirmed.
Maersk / Safmarine
Wafmax / East Africa
Frequency
Fortnightly
Rotation
Durban → East London → Cape Town → Las Palmas → Le Havre → Durban
Transit
Europe 18–22d · Durban 6–9d
Note
Europe-South Africa-Indian Ocean feeder connection. Strong for breakbulk and project.
Transit Intelligence
How long does it take from your origin?
Realistic sea freight windows to Toamasina — including port cut-off. Not carrier-published estimates.
Durban
5–7 days
PIL (ad-hoc)
Mumbai
10–13 days
MSC · CMA CGM
Dubai
13–15 days
MSC · CMA CGM
Shanghai
22–27 days
CMA CGM · MSC
Marseille
18–22 days
CMA CGM · Maersk
Nairobi
7–10 days
MSC · PIL
Transit windows reflect actual vessel call frequency and port cut-off at origin. Add 2–4 days for customs clearance at Toamasina on arrival.
South Africa Corridor — New
Durban–Toamasina:
the short corridor most forwarders overlook.
South Africa is Madagascar's closest major trading partner — and one of the least utilised corridors. PIL operates a weekly direct service ex-Durban. Transit is 5–7 days, port-to-port. For SADC-origin cargo, this is the most reliable and cost-effective route into Madagascar.
5–7 d
Port-to-port transit
Weekly
PIL direct frequency
Panamax
Vessel capacity class
Typical SA → Madagascar cargo
Vehicles & Machinery
Right-hand drive imports, construction equipment, mining vehicles.
FMCG & Beverages
SAB, Distell, Tiger Brands — Madagascar retail and hotel supply chain.
Steel & Building Materials
South African construction product exports via Durban.
Pharmaceuticals
South African pharmaceutical manufacturers servicing the IOI market.
Indian Ocean Corridor
Every vessel that calls has a story.
We know the ones that matter.
Port Intelligence
Toamasina — what the port data actually says
13.5 m
Maximum draft
Toamasina main berths — handles Panamax-class vessels.
400 m
Container quay length
MICTSL operated terminal — CMA CGM Terminal majority stake.
~220k
TEU / year capacity
Post-2023 expansion. Ongoing northern extension targets 400k TEU by 2028.
90%
Madagascar's seaborne trade
All significant import/export volume transits Toamasina.
Terminal Operator
MICTSL
Meridional International Container Terminal — majority stake held by CMA CGM Terminal. Handles 85%+ of container throughput.
Port Extension (2023–2028)
Northern expansion underway
$900M World Bank-backed extension. New berths targeting 400,000 TEU annual capacity by 2028. Reduced congestion during expansion phase.
Key secondary ports
Mahajanga (MGMJN)
Northwest coast · FMCG · coastal barge hub
Nosy Be (MGNOS)
Tourism & fishing · limited cargo
Ehoala (MGFTU)
Fort-Dauphin · mineral export · QMM operations
Air Freight
When sea freight is too slow
Pharmaceuticals, urgent parts, high-value perishables — three reliable cargo routes into Antananarivo Ivato (TNR).
Air France
AF · Paris CDG
Frequency
3× / week
Transit
~11h direct
Pharmaceuticals · perishables · urgent cargo
Air Austral
UU · Saint-Denis, Réunion
Frequency
Daily
Transit
~1.5h
Regional hub transfer · belly freight · IOI logistics
Kenya Airways
KQ · Nairobi NBO
Frequency
5× / week
Transit
~3h
East Africa corridor · perishables · cargo charter
All air cargo into Madagascar clears Antananarivo Ivato (TNR). Domestic onward to Toamasina or regional airports via Air Madagascar domestic network or truck.
Planning a shipment?
Get a transit estimate before you quote your client.
Tell us origin, cargo type, and urgency. We come back with the realistic window — including the port cut-off, carrier options, and the documentation your client will need at arrival.