DAL sticks to its tried and trusted formula

AS SHIPPING lines increasingly take on a logistics focus, extending their service offering beyond the sea leg, DAL Deutsche Afrika-Linien believes in sticking to its tried and trusted formula. DAL is the German line on the Europe Southern Africa trade which operates in an alliance with Safmarine. "We've always developed close relationships with our customers, focused on their business and developed together with them. And this is the formula we will continue to apply," said Stephan Schiller, deputy managing director of DAL's Hamburg-based liner agency. He was in South Africa last week to touch base with customers and local staff of the Safmarine agency along with Ron Frick, Johannesburg-based commercial manager of the Safmarine/DAL alliance for the S.A./United Kingdom, North West Continent & Scandinavia trade. It's clearly a formula that has stood the test of time for the German carrier which has operated on this route since 1892 when it established a sound footing as a niche regional carrier. As a founder member of the Southern Africa Europe Container Service, the line also lays claim to a unique positioning within the consortium. It's the only member that has not been part of a merger or takeover. According to Frick, 60% of the trade between Europe and Southern Africa originates from Germany, while exports from SA are still strong into the UK. "But increasingly we are seeing automotive components being exported, largely supported by South Africa's Motor Industry Development Programme." This increase in automotive exports combined with the weaker rand has seen a turnaround in trade trends over the past few years. "While the route was originally southbound dominated, the drop in imports and the increase in exports has resulted in a more balanced trade," said Frick. "And the signs are there that it will swing into a northbound-dominated trade." The liner activities of the group will continue to focus on Africa, said Schiller. In West Africa, for example, the line operates under the name WAL West Afrika Linien-Dienste, offering one of the fastest services between Europe and West Africa's main ports. "Since South African industry to a certain extent controls business from Europe into West Africa we are keen to bring WAL to their attention," Schiller told FTW. DAL also offers an Indian Ocean / East Africa service, operating a regular direct service between the Islands, Mombasa and Europe. J.T. Essberger, an established name in European waters specialising in bulk liquid tanker operations and deploying a large number of parcel chemical tankers, was established in South Africa some years ago to service the S.A. liquid industry.