RAY SMUTS IT HAS been a year since Safmarine reintroduced a direct call at Cape Town on its Safari service between South Africa and the Far East, and the carrier’s South African trades executive Alex de Bruyn is in no doubt that the move has proved a distinct success for both the line and its customers. “The direct call at Cape Town was added to Safari 1 when Safmarine launched its second string, Safari 2, in March 2006. “It’s been particularly beneficial for shippers dealing with the booming Chinese market.” China is the Western Cape’s primary trading partner in the Far East and local shippers – particularly those moving fruit, timber, metals, and plastics – tend to prefer the direct call on Safari to the Durban transhipment service offered by most other lines, explains De Bruyn. An added bonus is the fact that Cape Town is the last port of call on the main Safari service, he says. “This gives Western Cape exporters quick and direct access to the booming Chinese market, with a transit time between Cape Town and Hong Kong – the first port in Greater China – of only 19 days.” “The 4 152TEU Safmarine Mulanje and Safmarine Meru have already been introduced to the Safari 1 service and further vessels will join the service over the next two months.”
