Maersk officially opened the Belcon cold storage facility in Cape Town, South Africa, marking a milestone in the company's more than $100 million investment in the country's cold chain infrastructure.

According to the company, the opening of Belcon Cold Store reflects its focus on strengthening the refrigerated logistics network in the region, which is essential for the perishable goods export sector there. Fresh fruit, particularly citrus and table grapes, represents a substantial portion of South African agricultural shipments.

Lubabalo Mtya, Managing Director of Maersk Southern Africa & Islands, commented that “Maersk has been investing and present in South Africa for more than three decades, and our ambition has never been greater. We are committed to developing and delivering logistics solutions that generate tangible value for our customers and their businesses, contributing to South Africa’s economic prosperity and the livelihoods of its people.”

The Danish firm explained that the South African wine industry has faced significant challenges with delays and disruptions in the cold chain logistics. The market has experienced inconsistent performance, resulting in substantial losses for exporters of temperature-sensitive products.

“There was a clear need to strengthen South Africa’s cold chain infrastructure to minimize these losses and boost the competitiveness of local exporters. The Belcon cold storage facility directly addresses this serious market deficiency,” Mtya said.

© Fruitnet

With the opening of Belcon, Maersk now operates three cold storage facilities in South Africa: Belcon, Cato, and PreCool. Together, these facilities form a comprehensive network designed to meet the cold chain logistics needs of exporters.