Maersk has unveiled plans for the Belcon Logistics Park in Cape Town, highlighting its role in strengthening South Africa's cold chain infrastructure. The park will feature a state-of-the-art cold storage facility equipped with modern cooling technology, strategically positioned near the seaport and offering multi-modal transport solutions, including onsite depots.
The Belcon Logistics Park is part of a broader Maersk initiative to establish a network of three cold storage facilities across South Africa by the end of 2025. While the Belcon facility will be formally inaugurated in the final quarter of the year, it is scheduled to begin receiving cargo for select customers as early as June.
During a recent customer preview, Maersk offered current and potential clients a glimpse of the new facility. The company emphasized its commitment to offering fully integrated logistics solutions for perishable goods, including grapes and citrus exports that are vital to the regional economy. According to the South African Table Grape Industry, delays and cold chain disruptions in Cape Town alone have cost the grape sector up to 1.5 billion rand annually.
Maersk South Africa Managing Director Lubabalo Mtya stated that the company aims to minimize such losses by providing seamless cold chain services, ensuring product quality is preserved throughout the supply journey. The new facility will support services such as cargo consolidation, storage, customs brokerage, terminal handling, and both ocean and inland transport.
In addition to Belcon, Maersk is preparing to open a second cold store in Cato Ridge, near Durban, later this year. Both projects align with the company's global objective of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The cold stores will incorporate renewable energy sources to support this sustainability goal, reinforcing Maersk's commitment to environmentally responsible logistics.
For more information:
Adhish Alawani
Maersk
Email: [email protected]
www.maersk.com