Joint venture provides regular service into Angola

As Angola’s economy grows,
there’s scope not only to bring
in necessary industrial inputs
and consumer goods but for exports
as well.
Of his own company’s experience,
Lars Greiner of Maritime Carrier
Shipping in Cape Town said: “We
were mainly focused on mines. Macs
brings cargo from Northwest Europe
to Southern Africa, using the ports
of Walvis Bay round to Maputo. But
it is very much a balanced trade, in
both directions. Shipments north
include ores and manufactured
products.
“For us Angola is a very new area.
We’re very excited by what we see as
an opportunity,” Greiner said.
Last month, the Macs-managed
Gulf Africa Line (GAL), in operation
for 11 years, began a joint venture
with Angola South Line (ASL)
providing a scheduled service from
Texas and New Orleans to Walvis
Bay, where cargo is transferred to the
coaster feeder vessels of ASL for the
final leg to Angola.
“We were approached from the
Angolan side to provide a service.
They told us of the need for an
additional carrier, particularly with
the Angolan oil market growing, and
we worked on the idea for about six
months,” said Greiner.
“It’s a good fit because there is a
lot of synergy going on between us.
Both our companies are focused on
customer service,” he noted.
The Macs and GAL ships are
in the 25 000-35 000-metric tonne
deadweight class, while the Anna
vessels are in the 4 000-5 000-mt
category.
While the GAL/ASL service,
dubbed the Angola Atlantic Line,
concentrates on the needs of the oil
industry, Macs continues to ship into
the country “a shopping basket of
goods. We do breakbulk, bulk and
containers,” said Greiner.
“It is a growing market. The
country doesn’t seem to be badly
affected by the worldwide economic
climate. Angola certainly has quite a
lot of potential,” he said.