THE Wafex consortium, which provides direct services between the Far East and West Africa is to be discontinued at the end of the year, after seven years.
The consortium partners - Delmas, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Mitsui OSK Lines - have decided to go part company.
The three will continue to serve West African trade independently and through different services within the conference. They will set up the new services after the completion of the last Wafex voyages.
Although operating independently as from early next year, the three lines have agreed to continue co-operating among themselves, and with other lines serving West Africa.
Mitsui said it would convert its semi-container Far East-West Africa service to a full-container relay service in January, with Cape Town as the transshipment hub.
