The office began operations on October 1, 2026, as part of the company’s efforts to expand its operations in Africa, with a particular focus on landlocked countries.
Jesper Kanstrup, Hapag-Lloyd’s Managing Director Sub-Region Africa, said strengthening the company’s presence in Rwanda and Burundi was an important step in its expansion across the continent.
“Africa is a highly diverse continent, and serving our customers successfully requires a strong understanding of the individual markets in which they operate. By strengthening our presence, we combine local industry knowledge and customer proximity with the reach of Hapag-Lloyd’s global network,” he said.
Hapag-Lloyd is a global container shipping company operating in 140 countries.
Importers in Rwanda and Burundi primarily use the Port of Dar es Salaam, from where goods are transported to the two countries. Previously, customers requiring Hapag-Lloyd’s services in Rwanda had to rely on the company’s offices in neighbouring countries such as Kenya or Uganda.
The company said the new Kigali office is expected to improve customer support, facilitate trade and speed up services related to the import and export of goods.
Hapag-Lloyd operates a fleet of around 300 modern container ships and has approximately 15,200 employees in its liner shipping business. It also has about 400 offices across 140 countries.
The company offers 129 liner shipping services connecting around 600 ports across all continents.
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