Hapag-Lloyd has decided to proceed with a strategic restructuring of its Africa organizational setup across the continent.
The German shipping company will change its current Area setup from two to four Areas, aiming to secure a broader and stronger presence in Africa. The new Area setup will be supported by the existing Quality Service Center (QSC) in Mauritius.
As part of this transformation, the former Area West Africa has been divided into two new Areas:
- Area West Africa (WAF): Encompassing countries from Mauritania to Benin, with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The Area will be led by Thomas Elling as Area Managing Director, succeeding Vishal Bundhun.
- Area Central Africa (CAF): Covering countries from Nigeria to Angola, with its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. The Area will be led by Caroline Aubert-Adewuyi as Area Managing Director, succeeding Vishal Bundhun.
In parallel, the former Area South Africa will also be split into two separate Areas:
- Area South Africa (SAF): Encompassing countries from Namibia to Mozambique, with its headquarters in Durban, South Africa. The Area will continue to be led by Rogelio Busto as Area Managing Director.
- Area East Africa (EAF): Covering countries from Tanzania to Sudan, with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The Area will be led by Rogelio Busto as Interim Area Managing Director until a permanent appointment has been made.
Additionally, Hapag-Lloyd has established a new Sub-Region Africa, based in Dubai, UAE, to provide enhanced strategic oversight and close coordination.
All Areas, as well as the company’s Quality Service Center (QSC) in Port Louis, Mauritius, under Senior Director Ramcy Castelino, will report directly to Jesper Kanstrup, the new Sub-Regional Managing Director.
Sub-Region Africa will remain part of Region Middle East (which covers Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent, and Africa).
“Our goal is to be fast, more agile and more responsive to local market realities,” pointed out Lars Sorensen, Senior Managing Director of Region Middle East. “This new structure reflects our commitment to Africa as a key growth market and enables us to better serve our customers by empowering local leadership, leveraging local expertise and strengthening our regional support.”
