OT Africa Line was a specialist shipping line exclusively serving routes between Europe and West Africa.[1] OTAL work exclusively in the transportation (containershipping fleet) industry, operating a line of container and RoRo vessels. It ceased trading in June 2011 when the brand was assimilated under the Delmas banner. OTAL, like Delmas, was a subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group,[2] the third largest shipping company in the world.
OT Africa Line was established in 1975 as a pioneering, roll-on roll-off congestion beating transport system to Nigeria. Nigeria went through a massive construction boom with the discovery of oil in the mid-1970s[3] and the need to provide construction materials and equipment resulted in port congestion. Roll-on roll-off ships can load and discharge quickly, taking up a minimum of quay space and overcoming congestion difficulties.
In 1999 OTAL was taken over by Bolloré, a French investment and industrial holding group.[4]
In 2006 CMA CGM purchases OT Africa Line, at the same time acquiring Delmas, Setramar and a 50% stake in SudCargos to become the third largest shipping company in the world.
