New West Africa service launched

The shipping line Delmas, part of
the CMA CGM Group, which
has been present in west and
central Africa for over a century, has
added a new service on the SA-West
Africa trade.
The first ship in this Sango service
sailed the first return voyage in
mid-February, according to Philippe
Fozzani, MD of CMA CGM South
Africa.
“The service will initially operate
on a four-weekly basis, sailing a port
rotation of Durban-Cape Town-Walvis
Bay, Namibia-Pointe Noire, DRCLuanda,
Angola,” he told FTW, “but
will go to two weekly by early April.”
The line is using 500-TEU capacity
vessels on the trade. “These smaller
vessels are ideal for the purpose,” said
Fozzani. “With this shipping tool, we
are able to fit the demand of the market
and adapt to the various specificities of
the West African ports – congestion, no
gantries, and the like.”
The Cape Town-Angola market is
very active, he added, especially for
reefer (refrigerated container) traffic.
He also pointed to the valuable feeder
service that the service offered between
Durban, Cape Town and Walvis Bay –
allowing the line to tranship the cargoes
from its other international services on
its own vessels to the west coast.
“We are strongly marketing this
Walvis Bay connection,” Fozzani said,
“because it also offers a good means for
hubbing cargoes into the southern parts
of west and central Africa.”
Delmas’s Asia-Africa (Asaf) service
has also recently introduced a call in
Walvis Bay – following a bunkeringonly
call in Durban.
“This connects all the Asian ports to
Walvis Bay direct,” said Fozzani.
The line is also busy trying to
develop further possibilities in Pointe
Noire and Luanda. But, according
to Fozzani, the port congestion there
is a drawback to any new market
development.
“About a 12-day delay in Pointe
Noire, and anything up to 40-days in
Luanda,” he said.