Hapag-Lloyd Acquires Container Shipping Business of DAL

Hapag-Lloyd and the German shipping company Deutsche Afrika-Linien (DAL) have today signed a framework agreement under which Hapag-Lloyd will acquire the container shipping business of DAL. Founded in 1890, DAL is an established container shipping company operating four liner services between Europe, South Africa, and the Indian Ocean.

(Hamburg) The Africa expert, headquartered in Hamburg, has its own offices in Germany and South Africa, as well as representation through third-party agents in 47 countries worldwide. More than 150 employees are engaged in the liner business (including agencies). DAL owns a 6,589 TEU container ship and operates a container fleet of around 17,800 owned and leased containers, which will be acquired as part of the transaction.

“Africa remains an important strategic growth market. In particular, DAL is a valuable addition to our service offering to and from South Africa, enabling us to provide our customers with a better network and additional port coverage in this region. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the colleagues from DAL. With their extensive experience and market knowledge, they will significantly support us in continuing to grow in Africa,” says Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

Antitrust Authorities Must Approve

Only last year, Hapag-Lloyd acquired the Africa-focused shipping company NileDutch, significantly enhancing its presence and service offering to and from West Africa. The opening of new offices in Kenya, Morocco, and Senegal in 2021, as well as the establishment of a Quality Service Center (QSC) in Mauritius in 2020, further underscored this growth-oriented strategy.

The completion of the transaction is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.

Photo: © Hapag-Lloyd