Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) recently announced a major upgrade to its IROKO service, formally adding Cape Town, South Africa, to its direct port call sequence. This adjustment aims to strengthen maritime connections between Asia and Africa, particularly enhancing support for trade between China and West/Southern Africa.

Operated independently by MSC, the upgraded service creates a differentiated advantage in today's highly competitive shipping market. The new route will effectively serve multiple industries with high demands for timeliness and stability—including retail, solar panels, and consumer goods—further solidifying MSC's presence along the Asia-Africa trade corridor.

The maiden voyage FN604A is scheduled to call at Ningbo Port on January 23, 2026, followed by sequential calls at Nansha, Singapore, Cape Town, Pointe-Noire (Congo), Cotonou (Benin), Apapa (Nigeria), Tincan/ Lagos, Onea (Gabon), Lobito (Angola), before returning via Cape Town and Singapore to Xiamen and Ningbo, completing a full loop.