Cape of Good Hope Route

The Cape of Good Hope route runs around the southern tip of Africa, linking Asia and Europe without transiting the Suez Canal or the Red Sea. It became the main diversion after Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb from late 2023; rerouting an Asia-to-Northern-Europe voyage adds roughly 3,000 to 3,500 nautical miles and about 10 to 14 days, raising bunker, charter, and crew costs while avoiding war-risk additional premium for the Red Sea listed area. It also added vessel demand that tightened tonnage.