STACKS Cote d’Ivoire – Ivory Coast

Interview with

Mr. Simbo Kouyate
Sales Manager

First of all, could you tell us about your experience in shipping & logistics, and could you elaborate a little on the history of STACKS Ivory Coast?

Yes sure!

After my higher education and my degree in Maritime Transport and Logistics with a focus on Freight Forwarding – Logistics – Vessel Chartering – Shipping obtained at the Regional Academy of Maritime Sciences and Technologic , I started my 3-month school internship in 2013 at MSC-Medlog San Pedro in the Booking and Documentation department.

Afterwards, I joined the OMA group in its Ivorian subsidiary (OMA Côte d’Ivoire) in August 2014 for a second 6-month internship in the logistics department as a Trainee Logistics Officer. Six months later, I was confirmed in this role as Logistics Coordinator with a renewable 6-month fixed-term contract. I was finally confirmed in a permanent contract in the same position in 2015.

After 5 years at OMA Côte d’Ivoire, I joined Newport Tank Container in 2019, an Isotank operator specializing in the transport of liquid bulk products ( Chemicals and Foodstuff) , represented by SOGENA Côte d’Ivoire. I stayed there for 4 years as Head of Business Development.

In 2023, I joined ISS Global Forwarding Côte d’Ivoire as Vertical Head – Liquid Bulk and Agricultural Products.

Three years later, ISS Global Forwarding Côte d’Ivoire was bought by the STACKS group, and the rebranding took place in 2026.

Today, I’m working as Sales Manager at STACKS Côte d’Ivoire SA since January 2026 focus niche products (Liquid Bulk and commodities) and mining, oil and gas projects.

Many of our readers are based in Asia and North America, and they may not know very much about the Ivory Coast. What can you tell our readers about your country concerning logistics?

We are located in West Africa, with neighboring countries such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc. After 10 years of civil war due to political conflicts from 2000 to 2010 which delayed the economic and social development of the country, the Ivory Coast government has been trying since 2010 to reinvent and boost its economy by building it on its main agricultural resources such as cocoa (1^st top producer in the world), raw cashew nuts (1^st top producer in the world), coffee (3^rd top producer in the world ), and palm oil (3^rd top producer in Africa).

In fact, the Ivory Coast has tripled its production since the 2010s and is now the world’s leading producer of cashew nuts, with about 1,300,000 tons harvested in 2024.

In addition, having in mind that economic resources need to be diversified, since 2023, our government has been promoting mining, oil and gas projects in order to make the country more attractive for foreign investors.

This new governmental policy has attracted several multinational companies such as Fortuna Mining, Rox-gold Sango, Montage Gold, Barrick Gold, Perseus Mining, Endeavor Mining to explore and create value.

The government’s strategy in mining project promotion is simple: Improve mining governance, increase mining production, and diversify mining production.

Moreover, during these 5 last years, the Ivory Coast government has also focused its economic development on Oil and Gas projects. The discovery of some oil basins attracted big oil and gas explorer companies such as ENI, Foxtrot, etc.

With these initiatives, the Ivory Coast’s government aims to deeply reshape the mining and energy sectors, which are expected to become key drivers of economic transformation and the momentum of national growth.

Also, these projects need to be supported and handled by sustainable and dynamic logistics and supply chain services which positioned us as the backbone of the sector.

Generally, in West Africa and particularly in the Ivory Coast, navigating in the logistics environment fluctuates between success and challenges.

On the one hand, there is port congestion which delays vessels operations at berth and impacts negatively our last mile. On the other hand, there are delivery targets, and complex and heavy customs clearance and formalities procedures which could result in paying additional extra costs.

Are you able to arrange inland transport to neighboring countries via these ports?

Yes, we are able to arrange inland transport to Burkina Faso, Mali, etc. for DRY containers, cargo projects, OOG project, etc.

Some shipping lines nowadays wish to act as freight forwarders. Do you see the same situation in your country?

Yes, it is the same in our country. Shipping lines such as MAERSK, MSC and CMA CGM are acting as freight forwarders because the environment requires integrated shipping and logistics services.

Saving and optimizing the costs are the main goal for these shipping lines in the complex and competitive shipping and logistics environment.

What are the strengths of STACKS in logistics?

At STACKS, we understand the unique demands of project logistics across West Africa. Our strength lies in delivering tailored, end-to-end logistics solutions that ensure the safe, compliant, and timely movement of equipment and materials for large-scale infrastructure, mining, and energy projects. With deep regional expertise, strong on-the-ground networks, and multimodal capabilities, we support our clients in navigating the complexities of West African trade corridors — including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and beyond

Also, our team offers specialized experience In:

• Commodities (Cashew, Palm Oil Effluent, Coffee, Cocoa, Fruits, and Cola)
• Bulk Cargo & Iso Tanks
• Imports of Flexi Bags (for Liquid Bulk solutions)
• Mining, Construction Equipment & Materials – Cargo project

I understand that you have offices in several places around Africa.

Yes, we have offices in Serra Leone, Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Mauritius Island. We also have agents and partners in hinterland countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, etc..

We work closely with these different offices in order to satisfy our customers in the West Africa region.

Could you provide our readers with a few examples (air or sea doesn’t matter) of shipments that you have handled in recent times?

Yes sure! We are currently handling 10 SOC containers of more than 30 tons per container SOC for Roxgold – Fortuna Mining account.

These containers are SOC Generators, and we are proceeding with the demobilization of these generators from their Seguela Mining site in order to ship them to Jebel Ali, Jeddah, and Lekki ports. Photos included in this interview.

How about customs clearance in the Ivory Coast? Is it difficult, and is there special local rules/regulations that overseas partners should be aware of before shipping to the Ivory Coast?

Yes, some cargoes as subjected to customs import authorization before shipping them to the Ivory Coast

For example, for temporary entry, importation rules and regulations need to be cleared. Importer cargo must be eligible for and suit the import customs clearance regime.

For dangerous or hazardous cargoes importation to the Ivory Coast such as chemical products, we need authorization from our Ministry of Defense and the Customs Authorities.

Sometimes, getting these authorizations could be long due to the complexity and heaviness of our customs administration.

A lot of administrative actors are involved in our customs clearance procedures. As a result, there are times we barely manage to reach our operational target on time.

Adding to the above, shipping used cars to the Ivory Coast is subject to some special regulations as well .

In fact, the Ivorian government imposes strict restrictions for environmental, health, and safety reasons.

Age limits for used vehicles (Decree No. 2017-792)

• Passenger cars: maximum 5 years.
• Taxis: maximum 5 years.
• Minibuses (9 to 34 seats) and light trucks (under 5 tons): maximum 7 years.
• Trucks (over 5 tons) and coaches (over 34 seats): maximum 10 years.

Consequence: Any vehicle older than this is fined 2,000,000 FCFA (over €3,000) and must be re-exported or destroyed.

Last but not the least, a container tracking note (called a waiver) is undoubtedly the most critical document and the main source of disputes when shippers decide to ship cargo to the Ivory Coast. The waiver is an electronic document for advanced traceability established by the Ivorian Shippers’ Council (OIC). It allows the government to control the value, nature, and cost of freight even before the ship arrives, thereby securing customs revenue and fighting fraud.

How do you feel about the customer service of the major carriers nowadays? We get many complaints from around the world stating that they have become like banks. In other words, robots with call centres located elsewhere and that hardly any service is available. What is your view?

Honestly, the complaints you have got around the world concerning the major carriers such us MSC, MAERSK, and CMA CGM customer services are a reality unfortunately.

Beyond acting as a bank or like robots, communications are very bad. They are less and less involved in solving client’s problems or challenges. We missed lots of vessels during the last 3 months due to the fact that they do not communicate when their vessels ports of call changed.

We do not recommend you book or ship your cargo with Maersk Line or MSC.

CMA CGM is still trying to improve their customer service but challenges in communication is still their weak point.

HAPAG LLOYD is the best shipping line in terms of communications and operations according to me.

How is business running nowadays?

Business is running well! Sometimes, we have operational challenges, especially when we need to catch a vessel cutoff date for example. Also, we’ve got some operational challenges due to port congestion and the heavy administrative procedures of customs formalities, but in general, business is running well.

Which countries are your major trading partners?

Our major trading countries partners are located most of the time in Europe, China, UK and West Africa countries such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.

We are also trading sometimes with the United Arabs Emirates (Dubai , Jebel Ali, Jeddah) and South Africa.

How is it best for our readers to get in touch with you?

 To get it touch with me, please see the hereunder contact details :