South African shipping line Safmarine has upgraded its weekly service Safari 3 to boost trade between southern Africa and Asia.
Safmarine's Far East - South Africa trade manager Alan Mileham said the addition of Beira and an eastbound Toasmasina call to the Safari 3 service will provide a better service for exporters.
"Until now, the majority of eastbound cargo shipped from central and northern Mozambique and neighbouring countries (Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi) via Beira has had to move via feeder vessel to Durban, from where it was shipped on the Safari 1 service to the Far East," he said in a statement.
"By adding a direct call at Beira and an export Toasmasina call on Safari 3, cargo from these regions can now move directly through local ports to the Far East, allowing for quicker access to markets and added convenience for shippers."
Mr Mileham said the upgraded service, which is set to benefit the agricultural and mining sectors in these regions in particular, is being introduced in response to customer demand.
As of mid-October this year, all Safmarine's Beira imports/exports will move on the upgraded Safari 3 service, with port rotation: Tanjung Pelepas - Port Louis - Port Reunion - Toasmasina - Maputo - Beira - Toasmasina - Tanjung Pelepas.
A sixth vessel has been added to accommodate the extra direct port calls on the Safari 3 service, which is operated by Safmarine and sister-company Maersk.
