South African exporters will benefit from the new $100m Belcon Cold Store facility that opened in Cape Town this week.
Maersk said its investment in the facility represented the company’s continued focus on strengthening the country’s cold chain logistics network, which was essential for the perishable exports sector.
The South African grape industry has faced significant challenges, with delays and broken cold chains in logistics costing up to R1.5 billion annually. The country's cold-chain logistics market has experienced inconsistent performance, leading to substantial losses for exporters of temperature-sensitive produce.
“There was a clear need to strengthen South Africa's cold chain infrastructure to minimise these losses and support the competitiveness of local exporters. The Belcon Cold Store directly addresses this critical gap in the market,” said Maersk Southern Africa & Islands managing director, Lubabalo Mtya.
The company now operates three local cold storage facilities: Belcon, Cato and PreCool. These facilities feature 32 000 pallet positions, rail sidings and highway connections, onsite container depots and renewable energy systems.
“We are listening to our customers and implementing solutions that go beyond business as usual. This integrated approach means we're not only delivering on ocean shipping but providing our customers with complete logistics solutions that address their most pressing challenges,” Mtya said.
