Tag: South Africa

Attempts to address vessel berthing delays at Durban harbour have not led anywhere, as Transnet seemed to receive pressures to mitigate industry fears regarding port-side a strike action for an alleged non-payment of bonuses. After the fact that berthing delays got worse, leading to ships waiting seven days or more to dock, the local markets face important supply chain ramifications.

SAMSA is not apologetic about the approach of its contribution to economic development in the Eastern Cape, was the key message of the agency’s CEO, Mr Sobantu Tilayi responding to a criticism with regards to SAMSA's role in the attraction of investment into bunkering services in Port Elizabeth.

According to Deutsche Welle, the value of the products exchanged between China and Africa surpassed the $200 billion (€177 billion) in value last year, making it the continent’s largest trading partner. The vast majority of these were shipped — more than 90% of Africa’s exports travel by sea.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), one of the continents free trade area, enlisted UNCTAD to enable its goods transportation in the region, as less borders mean that African businesses and consumers could save billions. 

Dr Dakuku Peterside, Chairman of the Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA), called developed nations and corporate bodies to support Africa and other developing countries, with the goal of building capacity and regulatory enforcement needed to maximize benefits of the ocean economy.

While South African authorities used 'to turn a blind eye to fishing', the Department of Fisheries and Forestry has now appointed inspectors who attend on vessels to check whether there is any illegal fish onboard, the West Club informed citing information by the South Africa P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd.

South Africa's Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) announced it has managed to stop the strike action planned by South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, Tuesday. This was realised through a court interdict obtained by Transnet on 29 May.

South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority announced that it decided, after a successful trial in October, to introduce a service to transfer pilots to and from vessels through helicopter. The helicopter service is expected to be introduced in Cape Town in 2021.

Sanette Robinson became the first female marine pilot to receive an open licence at the Port of Cape Town. Robinson began her career in 1995 in the South African Navy, serving as a combat officer. Ms. Robinson is trained and certified to guide anything from the very smallest vessels to tankers, as well as container ships into port.

Maersk announced its plans on offering digital trade finance in South Africa, in light of further boosting small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although they contribute to S. Africa's economy, SMEs often face challenges in accessing finance.