EAST AFRICA – Hapag-Lloyd, a German shipping company mainly transporting agricultural goods out of Africa is set to launch a new service in East Africa dubbed East Africa Service 3 (EAS3).

 The new service featuring Seven 2,800 TEU vessels is aimed to offer better connectivity between Asia and the East Africa region.

According to the logistic company EAS3 will arrive for the first time in Kenya and Tanzania and offer direct weekly sailings to and from China and South-East Asia.

In addition, it will leverage on Hapag-Lloyd’s global network via the hub ports of Singapore, Port Kelang and Shanghai.

The launch of the new service follows Hapag-Lloyd setting base in Kenya in March 2021 by opening a new office in the East African leading economy to better serve and be closer to its customers in the region.

“Our new EAS3 service will create a new option for our customers and help us to forge even stronger connections between this flourishing region and the rest of the world.”

Dheeraj Bhatia – Senior Managing Director Region Middle East at Hapag-Lloyd

While the main business will be managed from the port city of Mombasa, the company will also have an office in Nairobi, the country’s capital.

The move will further enhance the company’s regular inland connections to and from Mombasa with landlocked East African countries – such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

As part of its growth strategy, the shipping company is seeking to develop inland connections to Somalia, Southern Ethiopia and Northern Tanzania.

“Hapag-Lloyd has been steadily expanding its business in East Africa in recent years as part of our strategic focus on selected growth markets worldwide.

“Our new EAS3 service will create a new option for our customers and help us to forge even stronger connections between this flourishing region and the rest of the world,” said Dheeraj Bhatia, Senior Managing Director Region Middle East at Hapag-Lloyd.

Hapag-Lloyd spreads wings in the rest of Africa

Hapag-Lloyd entered the Sub-Sahara African market about 13 years ago and has seen steady and significant growth in transported volumes to and from Africa since then.

In East Africa, the China Kenya Express Service (CKX) connects Kenya with some of the most important ports in Asia, such as Singapore and Shanghai, while the East Africa Service 2 (EAS2) connects the East African country with the west coast of India and Jebel Ali in Dubai.

Hapag-Lloyd has also been strengthening its offerings and presence in West Africa in recent years.

In October 2019 the Middle East India Africa Express (MIAX) service was launched, providing direct and fast connections between Middle East, India, South Africa and key markets in West Africa such as Ghana and Nigeria.

This was followed by the company opening a new office was opened in Lagos, Nigeria in September 2020.

Big news emerged in mid-March 2021 when Hapag-Lloyd signed a sale and purchase agreement with the Dutch container shipping company NileDutch.

The acquisition of NileDutch allows customers to benefit from an even denser network and a much higher frequency of sailings, particularly from and to locations in West and South Africa.

Currently, the completion of the transaction is subject to the approval of the responsible antitrust authorities.

Hapag-Lloyd now has five own offices on the continent: in South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. In addition, it recently opened a Quality Service Center in Mauritius.

The first westbound voyage of the EAS3 started in Shanghai on 29 April 2021 with an estimated arrival in Mombasa on 23 May 2021.

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