As a result, the specialised 1998-built 37,300 dwt chemical tanker, ‘Bow Cecil’, has become the first South African flagged vessel to ship chemicals to international markets.
“We are particularly proud of this landmark agreement, as it is a significant investment into localising and diversifying our supply chain. As a global producer of a number of chemical products, we supply numerous markets around the world with products made in South Africa. Through Nduna Maritime, we are extending our value chain participation through a wholly owned South African business,” said Vuyo Kahla, Sasol’s Executive Vice President: Advisory, Assurance and Supply Chain.
Group Executive Chairman, Vusi Mazibuko, Mnambithi, added, “We are excited about the acquisition and have long term plans to own and operate our own tankers. We also have plans to expand our fleet in both liquid bulk and drybulk vessels, which will see us further deepen South African ownership of the maritime industry. The vessel currently handles outbound shipments of chemicals into Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe for Sasol and other companies.”
Sasol said it spends about R1.8 bill a year on shipping chemicals from South Africa to global markets. As the owner of ‘Bow Cecil’, Nduna Maritime will leverage this asset to increase its capacity to ship more chemical products to markets concentrated in Asia.
Mazibuko added, “We believe that through this ground-breaking project, we have heeded the call to address the aspirations of our government's national development plan by increasing investment in the country's ship registry, as well as by creating an enabling environment for the improvement of human capital and skills development in the sector.”
“Sasol, as a company proudly rooted in our South African heritage, is committed to making a significant contribution to South Africa’s economic transformation. We believe that, through enabling players to participate in our value chain, we catalyse further economic growth,” Kahla concluded.