French line set to change regional perception

Traffic is building on Mozex Line (Delmas and CMA CGM) – the direct service connecting Asia with Mozambique, with calls on all three of Mozambique’s main ports – Maputo, Beira and Nacala, says Arnaud Thibault, CMA CGM and DELMAS Southern Africa regional director. CMA CGM Group, which is the world’s third-largest container shipping company (transporting 7.9-million TEUs in 2009), is relatively unknown in Southern Africa at present, admits Thibault. The French Group is, however, set on changing that as the region opens up for trade. The Mozex Line is complemented by the Group’s AFEX service that directly connects North, Central China and South East Asia to Cameroon, Benin and Nigeria, with a stop in Maputo on the way back to Port Kelang (hub for worldwide connections) in Malaysia, Central and North China. The third line deployed by CMA CGM Group is SWAX connecting Nacala with the Middle East (direct service). From Malaysia (Mozex/Afex Lines) or Middle East (Swax Line) cargo can be transhipped to Europe, USA, Oceania and South America, according to Thibault. CMA CGM subsidiary Delmas operates 15 regular lines between Europe and Asia, linking Africa to all the other continents. According to Thibault, CMA CGM Group is committed to developing the Southern African routes, and now services on carrier haulage to all the landlocked countries (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Eastern DR Congo) as well as South Africa. “CMA CGM and DELMAS offices have been opened in Maputo, Beira and Nacala for Mozambique but also Lilongwe, Blantyre, Walvis Bay, Johannesbourg, Durban over the past two years. The next two offices to open in the region are Lusaka and Harare,” says Thibault. “Beira is important because it serves Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he says. “Nacala is also important as it serves Malawi too. We can also offer Botswana via Durban or Walvis Bay and Swaziland via Durban and Maputo.” The services are providing dry and reefer capacity for Mozambique’s farmers. The Mozambican services however form part of a regional network. In June, CMA CGM Group announced the addition of a new call in Durban on its WAX service (West Africa Express) linking Asia to West Africa. This new weekly call allows CMA CGM Group to directly connect Asia to South Africa, South Africa to West Africa and South Africa to Asia. CMA CGM now offers three direct weekly services from Asia to Africa, calling on 11 ports in Asia, and 13 in West and Southern Africa.