New service provides full Africa coverage from the East

Shipping to Africa is not for the faint-hearted – and keeping ahead of constantly changing regulations is one of the challenges facing Hoëgh Autoliners, which recently launched a Middle East, India, Africa (MIAF) service. When FTW interviewed senior manager commercial department, Fernanda de Sousa, a communiqué had just been released by Luanda authorities announcing that vessels carrying used vehicles into Angola would need to discharge in Lobito rather than Luanda. This is part and parcel of operating into Africa – plenty of opportunity but with challenges in abundance. The line’s strategy of linking major markets to Africa saw the launch of its MIAF service in July this year. The service offers monthly sailings from Mumbai, Chennai and Colombo to Maputo, Durban, Luanda, Lagos and Tema as base ports, with others en route considered on inducement. The service also offers the possibility of loading cargo from Japan, China and South East Asia via transhipment in Jebel Ali. “In view of the enormous growth in Angola we see this as a logical step,” says De Sousa. “With the MIAF service in place we are able to potentially provide full Africa coverage from the East,” she told FTW. The line can accept a range of cargo, including high and heavy vehicles, project cargoes and oversized breakbulk as well as specialised non-rolling cargo. Hoëgh Autoliners operates more than 50 Pure Car and Truck Carriers in global trade systems and carried around two million car equivalent units last year, making 3000 port calls.