Logistics

Viaservice, Maersk partner to boost Kenya trade financing. (Image source: Maersk)

Viaservice-Ke, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Viatrans SA, has partnered with A. P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) to help streamline container management and improve access to digital trade financing for customers in Kenya’s logistics sector

The partnership will make the Viaservice Container Solution (VCS) available to eligible Maersk customers. The digital platform is designed to support freight forwarders and other logistics businesses with financing for container-related transactions while helping them manage cash flow more effectively.

Through the arrangement, eligible customers can have containers released without paying the conventional refundable deposit directly. This can reduce the amount of working capital tied up during container transactions, while also easing administrative processes and supporting smoother cargo movement.

VCS provides a digital platform through which logistics stakeholders can access financing for container-related charges and other logistics transactions.

Reducing working capital pressure

Under the traditional container release process, importers are generally required to provide a deposit to the shipping line before receiving the container. The deposit is returned once the empty equipment is handed back.

For businesses managing several containers at once, these deposits can tie up substantial working capital for extended periods.

Under the VCS arrangement, Viaservice provides an advance payment facility covering demurrage, damage and total loss on behalf of eligible customers, on a reimbursement basis. This enables containers to be released without customers having to provide the conventional deposit themselves.

The model is intended to help businesses maintain liquidity for their daily operations while keeping cargo moving through the supply chain.

“At Viaservice, we are committed to providing innovative digital and financial solutions that facilitate trade and support the growth of businesses operating in fast-growing economies. Our partnership with Maersk marks an important milestone in expanding access to digital trade financing solutions and strengthening the logistics ecosystem in the region. Since introducing the VCS, we have focused on addressing financing challenges faced by freight forwarders and logistics businesses, helping to accelerate cargo movement and improve efficiency across the logistics sector. Through this collaboration, we are extending these benefits to a wider customer base, enabling businesses to improve cash flow, optimize operations, and move cargo more efficiently,” commented John Mathenge, managing director of Viaservice Limited.

Tito Okuku, Area Managing Director for Eastern Africa, said the partnership would provide customers with solutions addressing both financial and operational challenges.

“As Kenya continues to strengthen its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, our customers require solutions that support working capital management, reduce transaction bottlenecks, and facilitate seamless movement of goods. Through our partnership with Viaservice, we are enhancing the value we provide by facilitating access to financing solutions that complement our logistics services and contribute to smoother trade flows.”

Expanding across East African trade routes

The partnership builds on an existing VCS relationship in Tanzania and expands the platform’s reach through Kenya’s Port of Mombasa.

“Welcoming Maersk onto the VCS platform in Kenya marks an important expansion of a partnership already successfully established in Tanzania. Through the Port of Mombasa, a growing share of regional container flows can now benefit from a more efficient alternative to cash deposits. The impact extends beyond Kenya. As a critical gateway for trade corridors serving landlocked markets across East Africa, Kenyan ports plays a central role in regional commerce. By reducing capital tied up in container deposits, VCS helps businesses preserve liquidity, improve operational efficiency and move cargo more smoothly across these corridors. This partnership further strengthens the regional reach of VCS and demonstrates how collaboration between shipping lines and trade-facilitation providers can improve the flow of both cargo and capital across African trade routes,” stated Morgan Lépinoy, managing director of Viatrans SA, Switzerland.

The companies will also conduct customer education and stakeholder engagement activities to raise awareness of VCS, encourage adoption and help businesses across the logistics value chain make use of the platform.

The collaboration is expected to support a more resilient, efficient and digitally enabled logistics sector while contributing to Kenya’s wider trade and economic development objectives.

HMM launches new East Africa shipping service. (Image source: HMM)

HMM is expanding its African shipping network with the introduction of a new Gulf-India-East Africa (GIA) container service, which is scheduled to begin operations in September

The new route will link India with key East African markets and represents HMM’s second feeder network serving Africa under its Hub & Spoke strategy. The service will connect East Africa with Nhava Sheva and Mundra, which act as regional hubs for cargo moving from India and Central Asia.

The GIA service will operate on the following port rotation:

Nhava Sheva, India – Mundra, India – Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Mombasa, Kenya – Nhava Sheva, India

The first sailing is scheduled to leave Nhava Sheva during the fourth week of September. Five container vessels, each with a capacity of 2,800 TEU, will be deployed on the route.

HMM will operate the service in partnership with COSCO SHIPPING, PIL and INTERASIA LINES. The carriers also plan to extend the service rotation into the Gulf region.

The launch will broaden HMM’s African network alongside its existing West Africa MA2 service. With the addition of Kenya and Tanzania, the company will strengthen its connections to East African markets and their surrounding inland logistics networks.

Dar es Salaam and Mombasa serve as important gateways for East Africa, where investment in port infrastructure and inland logistics is continuing. HMM expects the new service to provide shippers with greater transport convenience and additional shipping options between India and the region.

The GIA service also supports HMM’s wider efforts to expand its presence across African markets and develop its service portfolio in regions with growing trade and logistics requirements.

An HMM official said, “With the introduction of GIA service, HMM anticipates providing our customers with more efficient and reliable sea transportation. We will also continue to expand our presence in these regions and provide an enhanced service portfolio in the future.”

Bolt Business thriving in Nigeria’s corporate sector (Image source: Bolt)

Bolt Business, the corporate mobility solution from Bolt, has reported double-digit growth in Nigeria over the past year

The company said in a statement that it underscores increasing demand from firms seeking smarter, more efficient ways to manage employee transportation and business travel.

Over the past 12 months, growth was driven by expanding adoption across multiple industries, a rise in demand from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and an increasing number of organisations seeking alternatives to managing in-house transport fleets.

“Businesses today are looking beyond transportation, they’re looking for smarter ways to optimise operations and manage costs,” said Isaac Iroko, country manager, Bolt for Business Nigeria.

“We've seen organisations across different sectors embrace Bolt Business because it gives them a simple, reliable and transparent way to manage employee travel, whether it's daily commutes, client meetings or business trips. This growth demonstrates that corporate mobility is becoming an increasingly important part of business efficiency in Nigeria.”

Bolt Business serves organisations across a range of industries, including financial services, technology, healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, logistics, media, real estate and fast-growing consumer businesses.

Its client portfolio includes the likes of First Bank, Access Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Boston Consulting Group, Interswitch, Glovo and Pfizer Specialties.

Others clients include Chowdeck, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, News Central, IWOSAN Lagoon Hospitals, Avon Healthcare, UAC Foods, MRS, China Harbour Engineering Company Nigeria, CAPPA & D'Alberto and ValueJet.

In its statement, Bolt Business said its recent growth reflects a broader shift in how Nigerian businesses approach corporate mobility.

Rather than maintaining expensive vehicle fleets or relying on fragmented transport arrangements, more organisations are adopting digital mobility platforms that offer greater transparency, control and operational efficiency.

Unlike traditional fleet management, Bolt Business enables companies to centralise transportation through a single platform, providing features such as centralised billing, trip reporting, spending controls and real-time visibility into employee travel.

These capabilities help businesses improve oversight while reducing the administrative burden associated with corporate transportation.

The company intends to strengthen relationships with existing customers by introducing solutions tailored to industries with frequent employee mobility needs, including healthcare, financial services, legal services and logistics.

“Nigeria's business landscape is evolving rapidly, and organisations are under increasing pressure to operate more efficiently,” Isaac added.

“We see a significant opportunity to help businesses replace inefficient transport processes with smarter mobility solutions that improve visibility, simplify expense management and support business growth. Our focus remains on building products that create value for organisations of every size while delivering a seamless experience for their employees.”

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Gabon's railway is a lifeline for the economy (Image source: Eramet)

The Société d'Exploitation du Transgabonais (SETRAG) — the concessionaire of Gabon's national railway network — has signed a €312mn financing agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Proparco

The funds will be deployed for the continued modernisation of the Trans-Gabon Railway, a strategic asset for the West African country’s economic and social development.

SETRAG's shareholders include Eramet Comilog (51%), Meridiam 40%, and the Gabonese State 9%.

The latest financing complements public funding provided by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union to Gabon to finance its share of the broader Gabon Railway Modernisation and Safety Programme (PMS).

Christian Magni, CEO of SETRAG, said the successful completion of the financing marks a “decisive milestone” for both the concessionaire and Gabon.

“It reflects the confidence our financing partners have in our business model and operational trajectory,” said Magni.

“With this support, together with the ongoing operational backing of our shareholders, we now have the means to accelerate the safety upgrades and full modernisation of the Trans-Gabon Railway, strengthening its position as a benchmark logistics corridor in Central Africa and as a driver of sustainable development for local communities and the national economy.”

SETRAG is responsible for railway superstructure equipment, including rails, sleepers, ballast, signaling systems.

As the delegated project owner, it carries out maintenance and renewal works on behalf of, and in the name of, the granting authority, the Gabonese state.

The state itself is responsible for maintaining public infrastructure assets, including bridges, hydraulic infrastructure and passenger transport equipment.

The Proparco–IFC–SETRAG financing agreement forms part of Phase III of the Trans-Gabon Railway PMS, which includes €225mn in new financing and the refinancing of €87mn from the previous phases.

The programme will continue the renewal of the 648-kilometre railway line linking Owendo, on the Atlantic coast, to Franceville in eastern Gabon.

It also includes the modernisation of the railway’s infrastructure and systems to enhance safety and capacity, while supporting the diversification of rail services beyond the mining sector, particularly for passenger and general freight transport.

Since the launch of the programme, 457 kilometres of track have been renewed with concrete sleepers, and 186 kilometres have already been fitted with new 60kg rails.

In regions where alternative transport options are often limited or unavailable, the Trans-Gabon Railway is a vital economic lifeline, contributing approximately 20% of Gabon’s GDP.

It provides an essential public transport service for communities in remote and landlocked areas and also plays a critical role in transporting manganese, a mineral for which Gabon is one of the world's leading producers.

Manganese is a critical raw material that is essential to the energy transition and global industrial value chains.

“Reliable transport infrastructure is essential to private sector development, regional competitiveness and job creation,” said Ethiopis Tafara, IFC’s regional vice-president for Africa.

“Through this partnership…IFC is supporting the modernisation of a strategic railway infrastructure that will strengthen supply chains, improve connectivity for communities and businesses, and support Gabon's long-term economic diversification.”

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