More than a quarter of a century since Safmarine was sold to Maersk, South Africa is slowly gearing up to found another national shipping carrier.
Having been on the drawing board since 2017, Pretoria is now finalising plans to create a national shipping line with the department of transport inviting shipping companies to take part in a steering committee to establish a model for the new business, with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) set to be involved in its creation. The new carrier is likely to be called South African Shipping Company (SASCO).
Crude and chemical tankers as well as containerships, dry bulk vessels and bunker barges are all being eyed by the government, either newbuild or secondhand. All ships would be flagged in South Africa.
Safmarine, and its iconic white hulls, was sold to Maersk in 1999, with the Danish carrier taking the decision five years ago to fold the brand.