New ‘ASA’ consortium inaugurated

Japanese carrier K-Line, Malaysian shipping line MISC, and Singaporean liner PIL agreed to offer a joint-service between Asia and South Africa named ASA (Asia South Africa).

ASA service is a direct service to connect Far East Asia with South Africa on a fixed day weekly schedule. The service will call at Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Port Kelang, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Transit times from Hong Kong to South Africa takes 17 days. Six 1,200 TEU vessels are being deployed in the trade, while the ‘Malaysia Bridge’ kicks off the service with the first ASA sailing from Hong Kong on April 5.

Cargoes from South Korea to South Africa will be carried by Europe bound vessels and transshipped at Port Kelang.

“ASA service boasts fast transit times to South Africa, four days faster than SAFARI service. Though bound to transit services, it strictly follows a fixed day service that coincides with European services,” said an official from one of the member companies.
This service focuses on Hong Kong and Chinese cargoes, which are predicted to sharply increase in the future.

In the mean time, MOL, a former SAFARI service provider, along with K-Line and MISC, decided to join the new Asia South Africa service with P&O Nedlloyd from April. MOL and P&O Nedlloyd are operating a joint-service in Central and South America.

As former SAFARI members withdrew from SAFARI, the remaining service providers, Maersk Sealand and Safmarine, accepted MSC as a new member to SAFARI and began the new SAFARI service from April 2.

The newly reshuffled SAFARI service is strengthening its service in Asia by adding Shanghai to the service with much faster transit times. SAFARI now calls as follows: Tanjung, Pelepas, Hong Kong, Keelung, Pusan, Shanghai, Port Louis, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. It has three vessels from Safmarine and Maersk Sealand. MSC added one vessel to begin, and will add one more vessel around the end of this year.