Dear Valued Client,
Further to previous communication regarding congestion at South African ports, we can confirm that Maersk has suspended all new bookings on their Safari Service until their current backlog has cleared. There is no published timeline for this, but we anticipate 3 to 4 weeks for backlog to be eased. We await official confirmation and have it on good authority that other shipping lines are planning to follow suit and to be reminded that MSC are still running smaller vessels until further notice, all of which will lead to additional constraints on space as well as equipment availability.
The Safari Service calls Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Louis (for Cape Town containers) and Durban, but it is anticipated that this suspension will have a knock-on effect on other ports too. Our team are aware of the challenges that importers are already facing in this climate and are working with the local offices of the shipping lines as well as our international partners to secure bookings with alternative shipping lines. We ask that you advise us as far possible in advance of new import orders in this routing so that we can ensure the best possible outcomes for you.
Please feel free to contact our Durban office (031) 8180320, should you have any questions.