Saf’s 2008 fleet expansion on course

THE NAMING of the 2474 teu Safmarine Ngami last week marked the start of one of the most extensive fleet renewal programmes ever undertaken by Safmarine. A further eight new ships – of which six are owned and two are chartered tonnage – will be named by Safmarine this year, African region executive Alan Jones told FTW. The line is yet to reveal the routes on which the new vessels will be deployed. “When they are ready for delivery we’ll look at different trades and deploy them accordingly,” says Jones. Safmarine has added seven owned, new ships to its fleet since 2005 when it introduced the Safmarine Nomazwe and Safmarine Nokwanda on the SA-Europe trade. “This highlights our commitment to the future and our shareholders’ commitment to Safmarine.” The ships are all selffunded with no crosssubsidisation within the group, Jones said. “Safmarine has doubled in size twice in the last eight years since our acquisition by APM-Maersk – it’s all part of our growth plan for the next 20-30 years.”