Safmarine is to relocate its head office to Cape Town by the end of 2016.

The company was established in South Africa in 1946 and was acquired by Maersk Line in 1999 and, since 2012, has been headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Safmarine has a clear strategy and a strong outlook and Africa is core to the Safmarine strategy,” says Vincent Clerc, chief commercial officer of Maersk Line.

Safmarine CEO, David Williams, will relocate to the Cape and take over the position as Maersk Line’s regional manager for sub-Saharan Africa on 1 August from Ivan Heesom-Green.

“We have two strong brands in Africa: Safmarine and Maersk Line. In order for them to continue to be successful, we need to strengthen the local coordination. We believe this can best happen under one leadership team based in the region,” Clerc explains.

“We are committed to Africa. We want to continue to support the development of its emerging economies and in doing so, open markets and provide opportunities for current and new customers,” Clerc concluded.