German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd opened a new office to bring its services closer to customers in two landlocked markets as part of its wider expansion across Africa.
The office is located in Kigali and began operations on October 1, serving customers in Rwanda and Burundi.
Hapag-Lloyd said the move was intended to strengthen its presence on the continent and provide customers with easier access to its services and local market support.
Jesper Kanstrup, Hapag-Lloyd’s Managing Director for Sub-Region Africa, said understanding individual markets was important as the company expanded its operations across Africa.
“Africa is a highly diverse continent, and serving our customers successfully requires a strong understanding of the individual markets in which they operate.
By strengthening our presence, we combine local industry knowledge and customer proximity with the reach of Hapag-Lloyd’s global network,” he said.
The new office gives businesses in Rwanda and Burundi a local point of contact for the company’s international shipping services.
Hapag-Lloyd already connects customers in the two countries to international markets through the Port of Dar es Salaam.
The company operates two weekly import and export services through the Tanzanian port with connections to India and the Far East.
The company has continued expanding its presence in Africa as it seeks to strengthen services in markets that depend on regional transport links to reach international ports.
Hapag-Lloyd operates in about 140 countries and runs a global container shipping network linking hundreds of ports worldwide.
The new office extended the company’s direct presence in Africa while bringing its shipping services closer to businesses in Rwanda and Burundi.
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