Shipping Giant Hapag-Lloyd Opens 5th African Office in Kenya

By Adedapo Adesanya

Shipping giant, Hapag-Lloyd, as part of its expansion in Africa, has opened a new office in Kenya.

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.

Hapag-Lloyd mainly transports agricultural goods out of Kenya, especially tea, coffee, fruits and textiles. The imports primarily consist of chemicals, foodstuffs and a wide range of goods made of plastic or rubber.

The new office will be headed by Country Manager Prashant Sindhwani and the establishment will see 19 staff members work in Mombasa, six in Nairobi and one in Uganda.

Via the gateway port of Mombasa, the shipping company offers two different services: the China Kenya Express Service (CKX) will connect Kenya with some of the most important ports in Asia, such as Singapore and Shanghai while the East Africa Service (EAS2) connects the East African country with the west coast of India and Jebel Ali in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Speaking on this, Mr Dheeraj Bhatia, Senior Managing Director Region Middle East at Hapag-Lloyd said, “Kenya is the economic hub of East Africa and the most important growth region on the continent.

“By opening our new office in Kenya, we expect to continue our robust growth on the African continent.”

Hapag-Lloyd also serves landlocked East African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, with regular inland connections to and from Mombasa.

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

On this, Mr Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer at Hapag-Lloyd explained that “Our Strategy 2023 focuses not only on becoming the number one for quality but also on selected growth markets worldwide.

“We see an enormous growth potential in Africa and will further invest in our services and selected countries.”

In a congratulatory note, German Ambassador to Kenya, Mrs Annett Günther, wished Hapag-Lloyd all the best with their new presence in Kenya.

She noted, “Kenya as a regional and continental hub for trade relies on strong and efficient logistics service providers.

“Hapag-Lloyd has been serving the region for many years, so it is a logical step, and a good sign for the business community in Kenya, that they are now establishing a permanent presence in Mombasa and Nairobi.”

With the opening of the new office in Kenya, Hapag-Lloyd now has own five offices on the continent in South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. Additionally, Hapag-Lloyd recently opened its Quality Service Center in Mauritius.