MSC speeds up South Africa–Europe route with new Western Cape Express

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has announced a strategic update to its South Africa–Northern Europe shipping service designed to speed up transit times for early 2026 sailings.

In a move aimed at improving connections between Southern Africa and key European hubs, MSC will rename its Eastern Cape Express service to the Western Cape Express for January and February 2026. The change reflects a new port call at Cape Town, replacing Gqeberha in the rotation.

Under the revised service pattern, the first vessel on the new rotation will be MSC Tania on voyage WM601R, scheduled for week 02 of 2026. The updated route will call at Walvis Bay, Cape Town, San Pedro, London Gateway, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Le Havre.

According to MSC, the adjustment is intended to deliver faster and more reliable access to London Gateway and Rotterdam, addressing the needs of customers, particularly exporters of fresh produce requiring tight delivery windows.

The carrier emphasised that the change is part of its ongoing commitment to providing efficient, dependable and customer-focused shipping solutions across its global network of over 675 offices.

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