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Matrix Marine Holding GmbH has announced that its has formed a joint venture with Calulo Services (Pty) Ltd. to offer bunker fuels and lubricants in Southern Africa under the name Matrix Kepu Bunkers.

Mpho Diale, Group CEO of Calulo, and Stefan Herde, Managing Director of Matrix, signed the Joint Venture Agreement at a ceremony in Durban, South Africa’s leading bunker port.

Matrix Kepu will be a BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) supplier of bunker fuels and lubricants in South Africa. The Joint Venture will be based in Cape Town and will initially offer bunker services in the South African ports of Durban, Richards Bay and Cape Town.

A further expansion to neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania is also planned, as is the establishment of bunker supply operations off the coast of West and East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.

According to Diale, Southern Africa has recently seen an increase in vessel traffic.

"With an experienced and well reputed partner such as Matrix, the Joint Venture can bring a new spirit to the market with an unmatched level of service to the customers," Diale added.

Herde said that it was an important step for Matrix to grow from a local to a global supplier of high quality bunker services.

Matrix is a subsidiary of Mabanaft, the trading division of Marquard & Bahls, Hamburg, a leading independent petroleum company. The business encompasses physical delivery of marine fuels in Houston, Singapore and India. Operations will also commence soon in Oman.

Mabanaft is also active in international trading of petroleum products, service stations, heating-oil retail, lubricants, and biofuels.

Calulo Services is part of the Calulo Investments Group with various interests in the Southern African oil and shipping industries. Through its 100% subsidiary Kepu Trading, Calulo is already active in the domestic bunker market in South Africa with a presence in 14 ports.

For more information on Matrix, Mabanaft, Calulo and Kepu please visit www.matrixmarine.com, www.mabanaft.com, www.calulo.co.za & www.kepu.co.za.