Hanjin Shipping will expand its network into north-south trade lanes by buying slots on a new “K” Line South Africa Express service from Asia to South Africa.

The SFX service is scheduled to start direct service on Oct. 31 deploying seven vessels ranging in size from 2,500 to 3,200 20-foot equivalent units, of which “K” Line will provide five ships and Pacific International Lines two.

Hanjin said it will charter slots ranging from 250 to 300 TEUs depending on the vessel size.

The westbound port coverage of the SFX service will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Keelung, Hong Kong, Shekou, Port Kelang, Durban and Cape Town.

The Korean carrier said it hopes its first venture into service to South Africa will become the gateway for it in expanding its network throughout East and West Africa.

Hanjin, which has historically focused on the eat-west trade lanes, said its participation in the SFX service is part of its expansion into the north-south trade lanes.

Hanjin’s new north-south services include the WAF (West Africa Service) and ALW (Asia-Latin America West Coast Express Service), which it launched earlier this year.

Last July Hanjin also opened a dedicated terminal in Algeciras, Spain, which is expected to become a hub port in the Mediterranean and African regions.

The Journal of Commerce Online