SAFMARINE MPV, a specialist project cargo and break bulk operator to West Africa, has appointed Socopao South Africa to act as its shipping agent in the nation's main markets and ports. The shipping agency will also handle MPV vessels, starting from April.
The appointment of Socopoa as the Antwerp-based company's new liner agent follows the decision of parent, Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk Group, to establish Safmarine, as an independent business unit with its own, separate agency network.
"Socopao is part of Bollore Africa Logistics and one of the leading integrated logistics networks in Africa and a shipping agency with the knowledge, experience and presence we need to link South Africa with the rest of the continent and help us grow business in this region," says Jorg Knuttel, managing director.
"From a project cargo perspective, South African companies have the technology, the infrastructure and the connections they need to maximise the opportunities, and we see enormous potential for increasing business between South Africa and West Africa on the back of the new Safmarine MPV-Socopao South Africa partnership," he said.
Mr Knuttel is leading the company's split from Maersk Line's agency network, which will continue to represent the shipping group's container business.
The decision to establish a separate agency network has the advantage of allowing the Maersk Line and Safmarine liner agencies to continue focusing on the container business, while Safmarine MPV focuses on project and break bulk cargoes," explains Mr Knuttel.
Deploying a fleet of multipurpose vessels, the project cargo operator connects the US, Europe and South Africa with the main oil and gas ports along the West Africa coastline. The company's specialised multipurpose vessels are able to carry project and break bulk cargoes and load containers.
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