At least 97 people died on 11 August when the ferry Mbuya Nehanda sank on Lake Kariba, on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Local reports indicate the 41-year-old vessel, operated by the state-run Rural Infrastructure Development Agency, capsized in strong winds. Waves flooded the engine compartment, and survivors said they could not find life jackets. They were left clinging to debris until rescuers arrived. The incident received little international attention, reflecting how mass fatalities on African waterways are often viewed as routine rather than exceptional.
A Pattern of Neglect and Overcrowding
The tragedy in Zimbabwe was not an isolated event. Just ten days later, at least 52 people, mostly children, drowned in Sokoto state, Nigeria, when a boat carrying workers to rice farms capsized. This marked Nigeria’s second major passenger ferry disaster in 2026, following an incident in Yobe state in January that killed at least 26 people. Data from satellite communications company Inmarsat shows that 2,033 maritime fatalities were recorded in Africa in 2024. More than 70% of these deaths occurred in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mozambique. The true number is likely higher, as sinkings of small vessels like dugout canoes often go unreported.
Mike Corrigan, CEO of the global ferry association Interferry, identifies a deadly mix of factors behind the poor safety record. Operators frequently run old vessels that are poorly maintained. These boats are often overloaded and lack accurate passenger manifests. The Mbuya Nehanda exemplified every one of these defects. Recommended lifespans for commercial ferries are typically 25 to 30 years, yet the Zimbabwean vessel was 41. Only one of its two engines was operational, pointing to neglect. It carried at least 174 people against a certified capacity of 90. This severe overcrowding made the boat highly vulnerable to capsizing in rough weather.
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Regulations on Paper, Reality on the Water
Interferry has launched a project called FerrySafe to address these widespread failings. The program began in the Philippines and expanded to Africa in 2024. Corrigan notes that improving safety requires strong commitment from governments, regulators, and company officials. Experience globally suggests it takes at least 10 years to comprehensively improve safety practices. It does not happen overnight. The core issue in many countries is not a lack of regulations, but a failure to enforce them.
Zimbabwe, for instance, has the Inland Waters Shipping Act, first passed in 1971 and amended multiple times. The safety practices required by this legislation exist largely on paper, as the fate of the Mbuya Nehanda demonstrated. Regulatory agencies tasked with inspections and sanctioning negligent owners are often underfunded and understaffed. While there is often a clamor for justice after disasters, active surveillance to prevent the next one is frequently lacking. RIDA’s district commissioner for Kariba, Ignatius Chiome, was arrested and charged with culpable homicide following the sinking. Yet, the systemic gaps that allowed the disaster to occur remain largely unaddressed.
For the families of the victims, the immediate aftermath offers little comfort beyond legal proceedings. The lack of preventive oversight means that the grief of one family is often followed by the grief of another, separated by months or even years. The cycle of disaster and reaction, rather than prevention, defines the current reality for many communities on the continent. This persistent gap between policy and practice leaves residents of lakeside towns particularly vulnerable to avoidable tragedies.
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Investing in Safety and Modernization
Resource constraints are a major obstacle. Operating a ferry is often marginally profitable, making investment in modern vessels difficult. “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,” Corrigan said. “That’s the challenge.” Despite this, some operators are working to raise standards. The Lagos State Waterways Authority is enforcing regulations on operating hours, installing navigational markers, and dredging waterways to reduce collision risks.
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.”
