From Plantation to Destination: Your Partners in Sesame Transportation

Sesame is one of the oldest oilseed crops known to mankind – domesticated and consumed in different parts of the world for over 5000 years. Mainly cultivated in tropical regions of Africa and Asia, it is a common cooking ingredient used around the world, loved for its richness in vitamins, minerals, and flavour.  

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Africa is the largest continental producer of sesame in the world. Four of the top five global exporters of the seed are on the continent: Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Niger.[1] Annually, more than 6 billion tons of sesame are produced across the globe[2], and almost 55% of global sesame production comes from Africa.[3] Each year, millions of tons of the seed leave from Africa to China, Japan, South Korea, India, North Europe & Türkiye. Key areas of production and MSC transport are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Togo.

With a strong presence in Africa since 1970, MSC operates in these markets as a major market transporter of sesame and considers it a key piece of our services in the region, supporting both intra-Africa and international trade. Working together with our subsidiary MEDLOG, we operate door-to-door intermodal solutions with dedicated depots and warehouses along the way.

Our deep knowledge of the value chain around sesame seeds coupled with local expertise and intermodal networks make us the perfect partner for transporting this commodity. We work with our customers to provide a variety of options that cover the process from plantation to destination.