Safmarine is set to return to its roots by relocating its head office to the mother city by the end of this year.
The company was established in South Africa in 1946 and was acquired by Maersk Line in 1999. Since 2012, Safmarine’s head office has been located in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“Safmarine has a clear strategy and a strong outlook, and Africa is core to the Safmarine strategy. Therefore it is an obvious choice to move Safmarine’s head office to Cape Town,” said Vincent Clerc, chief commercial officer of Maersk Line.
Safmarine CEO, David Williams, will not only relocate with the head office, but will also take over the position as Maersk Line’s regional manager for Africa (sub-Saharan).
“We have two strong brands in Africa: Safmarine and Maersk Line. In order for them to continue to be successful, we need to strengthen the local coordination. We believe this can best happen under one leadership team based in the region,” said Clerc.
Maersk Line expects the move to be completed by the end of 2016, with Williams taking over from Ivan Heesom-Green as regional manager for Africa on August 1.
“We are committed to Africa. We want to continue to support the development of its emerging economies and in doing so, open markets and provide opportunities for current and new customers,” Clerc commented.
