Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has agreed to purchase a 25 percent stake in Tanzania-based Alistair Group, a cross-border logistics company which operates in sub-Saharan Africa.
Alistair Group, which was formed in 2008, has a large fleet of heavy transport equipment and has strong experience in air, ocean and road freight, Customs clearing, and forwarding.
MOL has a long history serving Africa, having established a service to the continent’s east coast in 1926. Today, it has offices in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, and Mauritius and is proactively developing various businesses on a group-wide scale, including not only ocean freight forwarding but also air freight forwarding, land transport, warehousing, and the export of used Japanese agricultural machinery.
The company said the deal with Alistair is part of a plan to develop and expand its non-shipping businesses in emerging regions.
Alistair Group ceo, Alistair James, said: “We’ve set an ambitious vision and are taking decisive steps to solidify our position as the leading logistics provider across the African continent.”
