THE CHILEAN shipping line,
Compania SudAmericana
de Vapores (CSAV), has just
concluded a joint-venture
with the Bidvest group
– and established its own
agency operation in SA.
“The choice of Bidvest as
joint-venture partners was
firmly based on the fact
that, for the past 10-years,
our line has been working
with Bidvest subsidiary
Rennies Ships Agency,”
said Rogelio Busto, general
director of CSAV in SA.
Also, for the line to
continue growing in the
area – and with plans to
hub through SA to West
and East African ports
– Busto pointed out the
value of working with a
local partner who was alert
to the trading conditions in
the African region.
A main reason for
establishing CSAV Group
Agencies in SA, according to
GM Chris Glen, is to put the
CSAV brand directly in front
of the line’s client base.
“It’s part of a global
strategy to expose the
CSAV brand through our
own agencies,” he told FTW.
Another benefit of CSAV
Group Agencies, according
to Busto, is that it will be
based on the line’s own
working philosophy.
“It fits our vision and
allows us to become an
essential player in our
customers’ distribution
chain,” he said, “allowing
them to effectively focus
on their business.”
It also fulfils what Busto
described as the line’s need
to find new opportunities.
“It is part of our desire
to have a strategic focus
on SA and Africa, and we’ve
been busy assessing this
potential.”
The line presently
has three links with SA,
according to Glen.
“We currently have the
ASAX service,” he said,
“with our fleet running
between the East Coast of
South America (ECSA) and
the Far East – with vessels
sailing from Brazil calling at
Durban on the eastbound
leg.
“We also have the
Discovery service, which
links the Far East with SA
– and has calls in both
Durban and Cape Town;
and the Marco Polo service,
which calls at Durban on
the westbound leg from
the Middle East, Indian
subcontinent to ECSA.”
CSAV sets up own SA agency operation
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