Can African ferry disasters prompt a safety revolution?

At least 97 lives were lost in Zimbabwe on 11 August, when the ferry Mbuya Nehanda sunk on Lake Kariba on the border with Zambia. Local media reports suggest the aging vessel, operated by the state-run Rural Infrastructure Development Agency, capsized in strong winds after waves flooded her engine compartment. Survivors reported being unable to find life jackets and were left clinging to debris as they waited for rescuers to arrive. Despite the scale of the disaster, the fate of the Mbuya Nehanda got little more than a passing mention in the international media - perhaps because mass fatalities on African waterways are seen as routine events. In fact, just 10 days after the Zimbabwe sinking, another tragedy struck, this time in Nigeria. At least 52 people, mostly children, drowned in Sokoto state when a boat carrying workers to rice farms capsized. This was Nigeria's second major passenger ferry disaster of 2026, following an incident in Yobe state in January that killed at least 26 people. According to figures published by satellite communications company Inmarsat, some 2,033 maritime fatalities were recorded in Africa in 2024, of which more than 70% were in Nigeria, DR Congo and Mozambique. The true toll could be much higher, given that sinkings of small vessels, including the dugout canoes that remain common on some rivers and lakes, are not necessarily reported. Death trap vessels Mike Corrigan, CEO of global ferry association Interferry, says the dire safety record on Africa's waterways is down to a deadly combination of factors. Too often, he says, African ferry operators run old vessels that are poorly maintained. When they sail, they are often overloaded and lack an accurate passenger manifest. Each of these defects was present in Zimbabwe. The Mbuya Nehanda was 41 years old (the recommended lifespan for a commercial ferry is usually 25-30 years). She was not properly maintained, as shown by the fact that only one of her engines was operational. And she was carrying at least 174 people, compared to a certified capacity of 90. This overcrowding made the vessel much more vulnerable to capsizing during the strong winds and waves on the day of the accident. Interferry is running a project, FerrySafe, in an effort to address the widespread safety failings. The programme began in the Philippines, before expanding to Africa in 2024. Since then, Corrigan says the organisation has been working with African stakeholders to improve standards. Creating a culture of safety requires "strong commitment" from governments, regulators and ferry company officials, he argues, noting that experience from around the world shows it takes at least 10 years to comprehensively improve safety practices. "It doesn't happen overnight." Striving for safety The problem in most countries is not so much a lack of safety regulations, but the failure to enforce these standards. Zimbabwe, for example, has a reasonably robust regulatory framework in the form of the Inland Waters Shipping Act, which was first passed in 1971 and has been amended multiple times. The safety practices required by the legislation exist largely on paper, however, as demonstrated by the fate of the Mbuya Nehanda. Regulatory agencies whose job it is to carry out inspections and sanction negligent owners are often underfunded and understaffed on the continent. There is often a clamour for justice in the aftermath of disasters - RIDA's district commissioner for Kariba, Ignatius Chiome, was arrested and charged with culpable homicide - but active surveillance to prevent the next disaster is frequently lacking. Another major obstacle to improved safety is the lack of resources to invest in modern vessels and to train staff in maintaining safe operations. Across most of the continent, operating a ferry is, at best, a marginally profitable activity. "It's very difficult to invest in ferries when what they can charge the passengers to ride the ferry doesn't cover their operating expenses," says Corrigan. "That's the challenge." Nevertheless, some ferry operators are working to improve standards. Corrigan highlights how the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) is making significant efforts to strengthen safety, including through enforcing regulations around operating hours, installing navigational markers and dredging waterways to reduce risks of collisions. This progress highlights how a safety culture can be strengthened in Africa, he says. "It takes a lot of willpower, and it takes somebody that's willing to lead, and it takes a number of years to get there." Lagos looks to waterways With better safety, Corrigan says there is a "huge opportunity" for ferries to play a greater role in public transport in the Nigerian megacity. Indeed, the geography of Lagos, which sprawls across several islands and peninsulas that jut into coastal lagoons, means ferry transport is an obvious way to help relieve the city's infamous traffic congestion. This is what the Lagos State Government is seeing to achieve with the recently launched Omi Eko Project, which aims to raise the share of water transport from 1% to 5% of urban journeys in Lagos. With a combined €360m in funding from the French Development Agency, the European Union and European Investment Bank, the project is seeking to procure at least 75 new electric-powered vessels that will operate across 15 structured routes spanning 140km. Speaking at the launch of Omi Eko, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the project "is not merely about infrastructure; it is about transformation - of lives, of livelihoods, and of Lagos itself." Investing in safety Another investor that is enthusiastic about modernising African ferry transport is the donor-funded Private Infrastructure Development Group. On Lake Victoria, PIDG has backed the Waterbus ferry network operated by Kenyan company Globology, which links lakeside-communities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It has also invested in Kalangala Infrastructure Services, which operates two roll-on/roll-off ferries between Uganda's Bugala Island and the mainland, as well as a freight vessel sailing between Uganda and Tanzania. Connor Dawson, PIDG's head of asset management, says it uses the board positions that come with sizeable minority stakes in these businesses to push through safety improvements. He says PIDG insists on the dry docking of vessels to allow for regular servicing of their hulls, and has also developed new landing areas that can be adjusted in line with fluctuating water levels to make embarkation and disembarkation safer. "On Waterbus, we specifically introduced onboard CCTV cameras to ensure adherence to overloading policies," Dawson adds. He insists that investing in proper safety practices makes long-term business sense. "You've got an investment, you need to return that investment, and the only way of doing that is to maintain these vessels properly." As well as safety, Dawson underlines that investing in modern ferry services is crucial for local economic development. He highlights how Bugala Island has been "completely transformed" as a result of a regular ferry service that moves both passengers and freight vehicles. Passenger crossings are free, as the route is subsidised by the Ugandan government; this allows children to cross to the mainland for school, which Dawson said has brought about a dramatic improvement in education. Electrification drive All the ferries in which PIDG has invested on Lake Victoria continue to be powered by diesel. Dawson says the services still reduce emissions, since they are much more energy efficient than the smaller motorboats or land transport that passengers would otherwise use. Waterbus has "dabbled" with installing solar panels on the roof of one of its vessels, he says, though this project remains in the "experimentation phase". Dawson predicts that electric vessels, of the kind Lagos State is looking to introduce, will be the "next evolution" in Africa. Electric ferries, which typically have a back-up diesel generator, are becoming increasingly common on short ferry routes around the world. As well as reducing emissions, they can lower operating costs and provide a more comfortable journey for passengers. The catch is that they require a reliable and high-density power supply to allow for fast recharging when docked - something that few African countries can guarantee. For now, the reality is that ferry transport in Africa is a tale of two halves: for every safe, modern and clean vessel, there remain many more that fail to observe basic standards. If anything positive can come from the latest tragedies in Zimbabwe and Nigeria, it is that the loss of life may spur renewed efforts to invest in the safety improvements that will allow ferries to play a greater role in meeting Africa's transport needs.