Multi-trade ship owner and operator Safmarine has begun marketing a new, weekly, named-day shipping service between the Middle East, the Indian Ocean Islands and South Africa.

The new service - which will be known as the Indian Ocean Service (IOS) - offers unmatched transit times between South Africa and the Middle East and extensive port coverage of the Indian Ocean Islands.    The service also offers Safmarine customers alternative options to the East Mediterranean and North African markets, with transshipment of cargo via the hub of Salalah.

According to Safmarine's Liner Director and CEO-designate, Ivan Heesom-Green, "The introduction of this new service will offer significantly increased service levels on the Indian Ocean trade. For example, the increase in reefer capacity will be of benefit to South African fruit exporters - particularly small volume shippers - with an eye on expanding their foothold in the Middle East market. The service's favourable transit times will dramatically shorten the time from tree to the point of discharge."

Exporters of motor vehicles and other dry goods are also set to benefit from the increased capacity while importers in Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands of containerised cargoes from the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent will benefit from an upgraded service.

Heesom-Green said the new service reflected Safmarine's commitment to servicing its customers by providing access to new markets.

The port rotation on the IOS is Salalah-Port Reunion-Port Louis-Taomasina-Durban-Salalah.  Four vessels of average 620 TEU capacity will be deployed on the service, which is an A.P Moller-Maersk operated service. Examples of IOS transit times are as follows:  Jawaharlal Nehru to Port Reunion = 10 days, Jebel Ali to Port Louis = 14 days; and Durban to Port Qasim = 12 days.

According to Heesom-Green, the IOS complements Safmarine's SAMBA service between South America, South Africa and the Middle East, which offers the following port rotation: Salalah-Durban-Cape Town-Rio Grande-Itajai-Paranagua-Santos-Cape Town-Port Elizabeth and Salalah.