Kenyan shippers to skip cash deposits for shipping containers under new deal
Under the new arrangement, Maersk customers can release shipping containers without paying a deposit upfront, with Viaservice advancing payments for demurrage, damage and total-loss charges on behalf of customers on a reimbursement basis.
Nairobi, Kenya – Under a new digital trade financing partnership, shippers working with A.P. Moller–Maersk in Kenya will no longer be required to pay refundable cash deposits for shipping containers. The collaboration with Viaservice-Ke enables Maersk customers to release containers without any upfront payment. Instead, Viaservice advances the necessary funds for demurrage, damage, and total-loss charges on a reimbursement basis.
This shift eliminates the need for businesses to tie up working capital for weeks or months, particularly those managing multiple containers.
Viaservice Managing Director John Mathenge highlighted that the partnership would improve cash flow and operational efficiency for businesses. Viaservice Managing Director John Mathenge stated that the collaboration would help businesses improve cash flow and operations. “At Viaservice, we are committed to providing innovative digital and financial solutions that facilitate trade and support the growth of businesses operating in fast-growing economies,” Mathenge said.
“Our partnership with Maersk marks an important milestone in expanding access to digital trade financing solutions and strengthening the logistics ecosystem in the region.”
Maersk’s Area Managing Director for Eastern Africa, Tito Okuku, noted that the partnership addresses both operational and financial challenges faced by customers. “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,” Okuku explained.
Viatrans SA’s Managing Director, Morgan Lépinoy, added that the expansion to Kenya builds on their existing partnership in Tanzania. “Welcoming Maersk onto the VCS platform in Kenya marks an important expansion of a partnership already successfully established in Tanzania,” Lépinoy noted. The arrangement will also benefit regional trade corridors served by the Port of Mombasa, reducing the capital tied up in container deposits.
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