South African Marine Corporation
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.JPG) |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Container shipping |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Copenhagen, Denmark |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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David Williams (CEO) |
| Owner | A.P. Moller-Maersk Group. |
| Website | www.safmarine.com |
Safmarine (Safmarine Container Lines N.V.) is an international shipping business offering container and break-bulk shipping services worldwide.
Formed in 1946 by South African industrialists and American ship owners, Safmarine is now widely known as a north/south trade and African specialist. The line is represented in more than 130 countries throughout the world, with more than 1200 sailors selling their services. Safmarine has been headquartered and registered in Antwerp, Belgium, since 1996, when it completed its acquisition of the Belgian container line, CMBT, which in turn had been an outgrowth of CMB. In 1999, Safmarine was bought by the Danish company A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, and Maersk chose to retain the Safmarine brand rather than integrating it wholly into Maersk Sealand. In 2002, Safmarine acquired Torm Lines.
On October 3, 2011, it was decided that Safmarine would integrate its internal support and management functions into those of its sister company Maersk Line.
Safmarine operated a passenger liner service between the United Kingdom and South Africa in 1965–77 and again in 1984–85.
Safmarine passenger operations had begun in 1965, when two Union-Castle Line ships used on the Southampton–Durban service, RMS Transvaal Castle and RMS Pretoria Castle, were transferred to Safmarine to satisfy demands from the South African government. The ships were renamed S. A. Vaal and S. A. Oranje respectively, re-painted in Safmarine colours but continued on the same service as before. In 1969, both vessels were transferred from British to South African registry. During the 1970s the South African liner trade started to decline, mainly due to competition from the jet airplane and the rising success of the revolutionary new container ships, in carrying cargoes more efficiently and more economically than conventional, older vessels. Thus, in 1975 the S. A. Oranje and her Union-Castle sister RMS Edinburgh Castle were withdrawn and sold for scrapping. RMS Pendennis Castle was also withdrawn in June 1976, leaving S. A. Vaal to remain with Union-Castle's RMS Windsor Castle, and the two smaller cargo/passenger mailships RMMV Good Hope Castle and RMMV Southampton Castle. In October 1977, both companies withdrew their passenger services and S. A. Vaal was sold to Carnival Cruise Lines, becoming their SS Festivale.
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Wikipedia