Global shipping giant Maersk has joined forces with Viaservice-Ke to introduce an innovative digital container financing solution tailored for customers in Kenya. The strategic partnership aims to transform how local logistics companies, freight forwarders, and importers manage their cash flow by addressing one of the industry’s most persistent financial bottlenecks: traditional container deposits.
Through this collaboration, Maersk customers in Kenya will gain direct access to the Viaservice Container Solution (VCS). This cutting-edge digital platform is specifically designed to minimize the amount of working capital that businesses routinely have tied up in container deposits, streamlining transactions and boosting overall operational efficiency across the supply chain. In standard shipping operations, importers are historically required to pay a hefty, refundable cash deposit before a shipping line releases a container. These funds are held until the empty container is safely returned to the designated depot.
While the deposits are eventually refunded, companies handling multiple shipments simultaneously often find that a substantial portion of their working capital remains locked up at any given time. This can severely restrict a business’s liquidity, making it difficult to fund other operational needs or seize new market opportunities.
The VCS platform introduces a flexible alternative to this traditional model. Eligible customers can now have containers released without needing to fork over heavy cash deposits upfront. Instead, Viaservice steps in to provide an advance payment facility covering potential demurrage, damage, and total loss on behalf of the customer, operating smoothly on a reimbursement basis. Consequently, Kenyan businesses can preserve critical working capital, enhance their liquidity, and keep their cargo moving without traditional financial strain.
Tito Okuku, Maersk Area Managing Director for Eastern Africa, emphasized the timeliness of the initiative as regional commerce continues to expand.
“As Kenya continues to strengthen its position as a regional trade and logistics hub, our customers require solutions that support working capital management, reduce transaction bottlenecks, and facilitate seamless movement of goods,” said Tito Okuku.
“Through our partnership with Viaservice, we are enhancing the value we provide by facilitating access to financing solutions that complement our logistics services and contribute to smoother trade flows,” he added.
The agreement marks a natural expansion of an already successful collaboration between Maersk and Viaservice in neighboring Tanzania. By bringing the digital financing model to the Port of Mombasa, the companies expect to unlock significant efficiency gains for container flows moving through one of East Africa’s most vital maritime gateways.
Because Mombasa serves as the primary trade corridor connecting several landlocked nations across the region, the ripple effects of improved liquidity for Kenyan importers are expected to benefit supply chains deep into the interior of East Africa.
Morgan Lépinoy, Managing Director of Viatrans SA, highlighted the broader economic advantages of the platform’s regional expansion. “By reducing capital tied up in container deposits, VCS helps businesses preserve liquidity, improve operational efficiency and move cargo more smoothly across these corridors,” noted Morgan Lépinoy.
To ensure high adoption rates and maximize the impact of the rollout, Maersk and Viaservice have announced plans to launch targeted customer education and stakeholder engagement initiatives. These programs will focus on raising awareness of the digital platform, demonstrating how local businesses can leverage digital financing to optimize their supply chain management and thrive in a competitive regional marketplace.
