Port Autonome de Kribi

What Port Autonome de Kribi does

Port Autonome de Kribi (PAK) is a Cameroonian state-owned autonomous port authority that began commercial operations in 2018, operating a deepwater port on the Gulf of Guinea at Kribi. The port's three core service lines are Services aux Navires (ship services including berthing, towage, pilotage, and mooring), Services aux Marchandises (cargo handling for containerized and conventional cargo), and a Zone Industrielle Portuaire (port industrial zone providing leased land and facilities for value-added logistics and manufacturing). Underlying these services is a digital layer comprising the SMART PAK mobile application for real-time container tracking, the SIP Single Window Portal (sip.pak.cm) for port administrative procedures, and an interactive vessel movement tracking platform displaying live maritime traffic, MMSI/IMO codes, and ETA/ETD data.

PAK generates revenue primarily through transaction-based port dues and tariffs (tonnage dues, berth fees, lighthouse fees), cargo handling fees, ship services charges, and recurring land/industrial zone leases. Pricing is governed by published tariff schedules rather than public per-unit disclosure. The port serves international container shipping lines (CMA CGM, MSC, Maersk) as anchor customers, maritime service providers (SOCOPAO, APM, FSMS, AMT), cargo owners and traders, tanker and bulk operators, and landlocked Central African countries — notably Chad, supported by a dedicated commercial liaison office in N'Djamena. Distribution is delivered through direct port operations in Kribi and representation offices in Yaoundé (government relations) and Douala (commercial liaison).

The port has pursued a series of quality and compliance milestones, including ISPS Code certification from the International Maritime Organization in 2018 and ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management certification in 2024, alongside a five-year cooperation agreement with ANOR (Cameroon standards agency) signed June 2020. The most significant recent event is the commissioning of Phase II of the Port of Kribi in May 2025, which doubled capacity through additional deep-water berths and modern container handling equipment. Leadership rests with Director General Patrice Melom. PAK is wholly owned by the Republic of Cameroon, is not listed on any exchange, and publishes financial statements for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025 on its governance page, though specific revenue figures are not disclosed in the source data.

Name

Port Autonome de Kribi

Legal name

Port Autonome de Kribi

Website

https://pak.cm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Port Autonome de Kribi is the Cameroonian state-owned authority operating the deepwater port at Kribi, providing ship services, cargo handling, and an industrial zone to global shipping lines, cargo owners, and landlocked Central African countries (notably Chad).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deepwater Port Services

NAICS

Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Port and Harbor Operations (48831)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)

akta.pro primary industry

Deep-Sea Container Terminals (Mainline / Transshipment Hubs) (TLAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Port Operations Control Center / Port Call Orchestration (TLAHAFAI), Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB), Pilotage Authority & Dispatch Services (Pilot Stations, Rostering, VTS Interface) (TLAHAGAG), Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA)

Keywords

• Deepwater port operations
• Cargo handling services
• Maritime logistics services
• Port industrial zone
• Container terminal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kribi

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Port Dues and Tariffs: Charges levied on vessels calling at the port including tonnage dues, berth fees, and lighthouse fees
2. Cargo Handling Services: Revenue from handling, storing, and processing containerized and conventional cargo through the port facilities
3. Ship Services: Towage, pilotage, mooring, and other maritime services provided to vessels at the port
4. Industrial Port Zone: Revenue from leasing land and facilities in the port industrial zone to companies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Port Autonome de Kribi operates a deepwater port providing ship berthing and maritime services (towage, pilotage, mooring), containerized and conventional cargo handling services, and an industrial port zone for manufacturing and logistics activities. The port serves international shipping lines, cargo owners, and landlocked Central African countries (notably Chad) as a strategic Gulf of Guinea gateway.

Product overview

Port Autonome de Kribi operates as a deepwater port platform offering three core service lines: ship services (Services aux Navires), cargo handling services (Services aux Marchandises), and a Port Industrial Zone. These core offerings are supported by digital add-on modules including the SMART PAK mobile app for container and cargo tracking, the SIP Single Window Portal for administrative procedures, and real-time ship movement tracking. The port has expanded through Phase II development and serves as a key logistics hub for Cameroon and Central Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ship Services (Services aux Navires) Docking infrastructure and ship services enabling secure vessel berthing at the port, including towage, pilotage, mooring, and management of negative externalities from port operations. Designed for international shipping lines calling at the deepwater port.
• Cargo Handling Services (Services aux Marchandises) Cargo handling services combining port infrastructure, operator expertise, and strategic alignment of port administration for efficient processing of containerized and conventional cargo. Targets importers, exporters, and shipping lines requiring cargo handling, storage, and processing through the port.
• Port Industrial Zone (Zone Industrielle Portuaire) Industrial zone leveraging the port's comparative advantages to create value-added manufacturing and logistics opportunities, including land and facility leasing to companies within the port ecosystem. Targeted at companies seeking port-adjacent industrial operations in Cameroon.
• SIP Single Window Portal (Guichet Unique)

Quantifiable outcome

• 16 million tonnes of cargo handled annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mission d'Études pour l'Aménagement de l'Océan (MEAO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Framework partnership agreement signed to support major development projects in the Ocean Division, promote integrated territorial planning, and foster sustainable development. Both institutions will combine expertise to strengthen land-use management and promote balanced growth alongside port infrastructure expansion.
• CIC-RELAIS CONSULT GROUPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022ISO 9001-certified consulting firm that provided training on implementing a Quality Management System and preparing for ISO 9001:2015 certification. Training conducted in Casablanca and Tangier, Morocco.
• Agence Camerounaise de Normalisation (ANOR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2020Five-year renewable cooperation agreement to reinforce competitiveness and attractiveness of the deep-water port. Key areas include development of certification standards, regulatory compliance oversight, quality promotion, capacity building, and pre-export conformity assessment programs.
• Association des Élus de France d'Origine et de Nationalité Camerounaises (EFRACAM)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit by EFRACAM delegation for dialogue, co-development, and stronger ties between Cameroon, its diaspora, and institutional partners. Discussions focused on promoting investment opportunities and strengthening territorial diplomacy.
• Grand Port Maritime de BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical cooperation and knowledge sharing. Deputy General Manager of Bordeaux port participated in EFRACAM delegation visit to PAK, exploring new avenues for collaboration and promoting strategic assets of the Port of Kribi.
• Helen Keller InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for community health initiatives as part of PAK's CSR program, supporting health and education priorities in host communities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tanger Med Port Authority: Morocco's flagship deep-water transshipment hub and Africa's largest container port. Operates at a different geographic scale but directly competes for transshipment flows and represents the gold-standard deep-water African port model.
• DP World: Global port operator with terminals across Africa and worldwide. Operates competing facilities in the region and represents the model of private concession-based port management that PAK could partner with or compete against.

Direct peers

• Port Autonome d'Abidjan: Ivorian autonomous port operating the container terminal at Abidjan. Comparable autonomous port authority model with a similar mix of import/export, transshipment, and industrial-zone activities targeting West African trade.
• Port Autonome de Lomé: Togolese autonomous port authority and a leading Gulf of Guinea transshipment hub. Competes with PAK for deep-sea container transshipment calls and has positioned itself as a preferred West/Central Africa hub for global liners.
• Port Autonome de Douala: Cameroon's primary legacy port and the main domestic competitor to PAK. Both are government-owned autonomous port authorities serving Cameroonian and Central African trade, competing for the same shipping lines and cargo owners.
• Tema Port (Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority): Ghana's primary port complex undergoing major expansion with new deep-water terminals. Competes for liner services and West African container traffic along the Gulf of Guinea.

Emerging players

• Lekki Deep Sea Port: Nigeria's newest deep-water container port, operational since 2023. Targets the same Nigerian and landlocked hinterland cargo flows that compete with PAK's Central African transit volumes.

Regional players

• Port Autonome de Dakar: Senegalese autonomous port authority serving West African and Sahel markets. Comparable autonomous port model but primarily serves the western corridor, with some overlap on regional transshipment decisions.

Others

• Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Major European deep-water port and a strategic partnership/knowledge-sharing peer for PAK. Less directly competitive but relevant for benchmarking deep-water operations, automation, and digital customer experience.
• APM Terminals (Maersk): Global container terminal operator and a key service provider/customer at PAK. Operates competing terminals across Africa and globally, providing a benchmark for operational efficiency and concession economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kribiport

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Port Autonome de Kribi