Afrimar will look at serving South East Asia, the Indian Ocean Rim and North and South America AFRIMAR, THE new shipping company to be formed by the Durban-based National Empowerment Trust Investment Fund and Malaysian Shipping Company Perbadanan Nasional Shipping Line Berhad (PNSL), is currently negotiating the purchase of an existing line which operates on the South Africa route.
That's the word from Don Mkhwanazi, chairman of the National Empowerment Trust, who was among the businessmen to visit Malaysia during President Nelson Mandela's recent Malaysian safari.
Mkhwanazi told FTW that a memorandum of understand had been agreed with PNSL as far back as 1995, and that the deal was now signed. Discussions are currently in progress for the purchase of a shipping company, with its ships, which would form the core assets of Afrimar. Afrimar will look at serving South East Asia, the Indian Ocean Rim and North and South America, he said.
The imminent launch of the line comes amid news of several Malaysian initiatives in South Africa.
The national Malaysian car, the Proton, for example, is to be manufactured in the eastern Cape and exported to England and South America, according to Mkhwanazi. We will transport the cars from SA to South America and the UK.
We will operate liner services using container ships. According to Mkhwanazi, PNSL is a major Malaysian company involved in transport logistics, and owned by the prime minister's son. Shipping is a major element of its business, he said.
NET Investment Fund is the business arm of the National Empowerment Trust which was established by leading black business men to empower blacks to become involved in the main stream of the economy.
Afrimar will be the only black-owned shipping company and will offer blacks a stake in South Africa's shipping industry.
Mkhwanazi has indicated that the scope of Afrimar could extend into other areas of transport logistics.
