Hapag-Lloyd closes acquisition of Deutsche Afrika-Linien’s container business

Hapag-Lloyd has successfully closed its acquisition of the container liner business of Deutsche Afrika-Linien (DAL).

The German carrier initially signed a framework agreement for the takeover in March this year. The transaction has now been approved by all relevant authorities.

“We are very pleased with the closing of the transaction and looking forward to welcoming the DAL colleagues,” says Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

“With their broad experience and market knowledge, they will significantly support us to further grow in Africa, which remains an important strategic market for us. We will now fully integrate the DAL’s container liner activities into our business.”

According to Hapag-Lloyd, DAL is a valuable addition, allowing it to offer its customers a better network and additional port coverage in South Africa.

Full commercial integration into the Hapag-Lloyd brand is expected to be completed by Q4 2022.

Back in 2021, the carrier also struck a deal to acquire Nile Dutch Investment B.V. (NileDutch) – a container shipping line that serviced the West Africa region and other emerging markets.

The purchase was made as part of Hapag-Lloyd’s global investment strategy and was closed in July last year.