COSCO, ONE Alliance Launch Asia – South Africa Express Services
Building upon the Asia-South Africa Express Service (ZAX) inaugurated in May 2018, the Ocean Network Express (ONE) Alliance and China’s shipping giant COSCO announced the launch of two new Asia-South Africa Express Services, ZAX2 and ZAX3 in June 2026.
At the end of May 2026, Evergreen and Pacific International Lines (PIL) terminated the vessel-sharing agreement (VSA) with the ONE Alliance to jointly launch an independent similar service, known as the Far East – South Africa Express (SAF) by Evergreen and the Ubuntu Express (UBX) by PIL. It is worth noting that Evergreen remains a member of the other OCEAN alliance. Therefore, the remaining shipping lines, viz, ONE, COSCO and Gold Star Line, reshuffled their service schedules by introducing ZAX2 and ZAX3 routes to cover the gaps.
The Dolphin II will undertake the maiden voyage on ZAX2 from Qingdao on 9 June 2026, while COSCO Wellington will initiate the inaugural service for ZAX3 from Shanghai on 14 June 2026. In April 2026, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) also added a weekly Ingwe shipping service departing from Tianjin to Coega (Port Elizabeth).
The expansion of container shipment services along the China-Africa Corridor correlates with the sustained growth in trade between China and Africa, which increased by 18% year-on-year in 2025. All major shipping lines have also taken note of the aspiration of Mauritius to leverage its geostrategic position and transform itself into a transhipment hub along the Asia – Africa axis.
| ZAX2 | ZAX3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ports of Call | Qingdao – Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Hong Kong – Singapore – Durban – Cape Town – Singapore – Qingdao | Shanghai – Ningbo – Xiamen – Nansha – Singapore – Port Louis – Durban – Singapore – Qinzhou – Shanghai |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Transit Time | Shanghai – Durban ~ 26 days | Shanghai – Durban ~ 28 days |
| Ships Deployed | Dolphin II (5,078 TEU), NYK Furano (4,538 TEU) | ONE Hangzhou Bay (9,120 TEU), COSCO Wellington (4,253 TEU), Navios Lapis (4,250 TEU) |
| Partner Code | SA2/SAS | SA1/SAC |