Hapag-Lloyd announced that it signed a sale and purchase agreement with NileDutch for the acquisition of all shares of the Dutch container shipping company Nile Dutch Investments B.V. (NileDutch).

In a statement, the German international shipping company cited NileDutch over 40 years of expertise in serving West Africa which will allow it to "significantly strengthens Hapag-Lloyd´s position in the African market."

"The company is present in 85 locations across the world and has 16 own offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Singapore, China, Angola, Congo and Cameroon," Hapag Lloyd said.

It added that NileDutch also has 10 liner services, around 35,000 TEU of transport capacity and a container fleet of around 80,000 TEU, the company connects Europe, Asia and Latin America with West and South Africa.

NileDutch is headquartered in Rotterdam, has some 350 employees worldwide with particular expertise in the African market, it added.

Focus on Africa expansion

“Africa is an important strategic growth market for Hapag-Lloyd. The acquisition of NileDutch strengthens our position in West Africa and will be an excellent addition to our existing activities on the continent,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

“Our combined customer base will benefit from a denser network from and to Africa as well as from a much higher frequency of sailings. We welcome the new colleagues from NileDutch and hope that together we can further develop our business in Africa in the years to come,” he added.

Wim van Aalst, President of NileDutch, added: “Hapag-Lloyd and NileDutch are a very good fit and I am happy that we join forces. Combining our business and expertise in West Africa with Hapag-Lloyd´s worldwide network will enable us to take the next step and further develop the Africa business.”

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