The Safmarine Makutu ' the fourth in a series of Panamax containerships to be delivered to Safmarine by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) ' was named today at the HHI Shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

Mrs. Natalie Scholtz - wife of Duard Scholtz, Managing Director of J.F. Hillebrand South Africa Pty Ltd ' christened the new vessel, which takes its name from the 2,164 m high Makutu Mountain, the highest mountain range in Zambia.

The Safmarine Makutu will join her sister-ships - Safmarine Mafadi, Safmarine Mulanje and Safmarine Meru - on the SAFARI 1 service between Asia and Southern Africa during September 2007.

Safmarine Makutu's entry into service on Safari 1 will replace a vessel of similar size already deployed to the service (Maersk Toba). The Safari services will remain a 13 vessel service with seven vessels deployed on Safari 1 and six vessels on the Safari 2 services.

The two Safari services offer the following port rotations:

  • Safari 1: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Durban, Cape Town, Port Louis, Tanjung Pelepas, Hong Kong.
  • Safari 2: Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Louis, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Hong Kong.
  • The Safmarine Makutu has the following specifications: Length ' 292.08 m; Breadth ' 32.25 m; Deadweight ' 60,700 tdw; Service Speed ' 24.50 kn; Container Capacity ' 4,154 teu

Seven new vessels are set to boost Safmarine's owned-vessel fleet in 2008. These include:

  • Five 2,474 teu vessels to be delivered by Volkswerft Stralsund in Germany, and
  • Two 6,160 teu vessels by Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co., Ltd. in Korea

In addition to these owned vessels, Safmarine will also take delivery next year of the following long-term charter vessels:

  • Four Chinese-built, multi-purpose tweendeck vessels of 12,000 dwt and purpose-built for Safmarine's West Africa MPV service;
  • Two Japanese-built 1,600 teu feeder vessels (in a series of four) that join sister-ships, the Safmarine Bandama and the Safmarine Sanaga. The Safmarine Bandama, owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., is currently deployed on the Middle East ' East Africa trade while the Safmarine Sanaga, owned by Misuga Kaiun Co., Ltd. of Japan, is set to join the Algeciras ' West Africa feeder service later this year.