NDL Ghana
NDL GHANA

Sea freight vs air cargo to Ghana: how to choose without guessing

Updated 18 July 20266 min readFrom supplier to your door
Air cargo freighter being loaded with palletised freight bound for Accra

The instinct is to compare prices. The better comparison is cost per unit sold, including the cash your stock ties up while it floats across an ocean.

Start with density

Divide gross weight in kilograms by volume in CBM. Above roughly 250 kg/CBM your cargo is dense and sea freight is almost always cheaper per unit. Below about 150 kg/CBM the cargo is bulky and air freight becomes punishing, because you pay volumetric weight.

Then price the delay

Sea from China lands in about 25–35 days plus clearing. Air lands in 5–7 days. If your product sells for GHS 200 with a GHS 60 margin and you sell 40 units a week, four extra weeks of waiting is roughly GHS 9,600 of deferred margin — often more than the air premium on a small, high-value consignment.

When FCL beats groupage

  • You have 15 CBM or more moving at once — a 20ft container becomes competitive per CBM.
  • Your cargo is fragile or high-value and you want no co-loading.
  • You need predictable, repeatable sailings for a retail replenishment cycle.

A practical blend

Most of our steady importers split: a sea container for core stock and a weekly air consignment for fast movers, samples and anything a customer is already waiting on. It keeps landed cost low without stockouts.

Frequently asked questions

How long does sea freight from China to Ghana take?

Typically 25–35 days port to port from South China to Tema, plus consolidation before departure and clearing plus delivery after arrival. Air cargo on the same lane is usually 5–7 days door to door.

Is air cargo ever cheaper than sea?

For very small, dense, high-value consignments the total cost can be comparable once you account for the fixed per-consignment charges on a sea shipment and the working capital tied up during a five-week voyage.

Keep reading