South African Business 2019 edition

PROFILE
square kilometres. The coastline stretches from the cold Atlantic Ocean
in the west to the Southern Ocean in the south, and then to the warm
Indian Ocean in the east.”
Headquartered in Port Elizabeth, and with plans to eventually be
represented in all of South Africa’s major coastal cities, SAIMI works with
educational institutions, government departments and the private
sector across South Africa.
Its primary role is to respond to industry needs by identifying skills
gaps, facilitating collaboration and development of new programmes,
and coordinating maritime education and training in areas across the
diverse maritime economy spectrum – from shipping and transport,
to aquaculture, boat-building and oil and gas exploration, through to
ocean governance and environmental management.
One way of doing this is by reaching out to the younger generation,
educating them about sea-going career opportunities and also
offering training facilities through its management of the National
Cadet Programme.
Funded by the National Skills Fund, the programme – which was
SAIMI’s first and still its largest project – offers practical training and
sea time with international shipping lines, enabling maritime diploma
students to obtain the internationally recognised Standards of Training,
Certification, and Watch-keeping (STCW) qualifications and become
globally sought-after seafarers.
Innovative approaches to seafarer training, which have the potential
for replication if successful, are being followed with some of the partner
shipping companies, which recruit a small number of cadets into an
intensive programme aimed at developing their own future officer
corps from cadet to apprentice to fully-fledged officer.
The programme has also extended its reach to school level in an
effort to encourage interest in maritime careers, sponsoring holiday
camps and maritime experiential programmes for school learners,
along with maths and science support to ensure entry to maritime
studies programmes.
In addition, the institute is currently facilitating a pilot project
with the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) for
CONTACT DETAILS
Physical address: Ocean Sciences Campus, Gomery Avenue,
Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Postal address: PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela University, Port
Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
Tel: +27 41 504 4038
Email: info@saimi.co.za
Website: www.saimi.co.za
training of deck and engine
ratings towards Certificates of
Proficiency as Able Seafarers,
to work in areas such as vessel
maintenance, rigging and cargo
handling for merchant shipping
and the fishing industry.
In a long-standing partnership
with the Africa region
of the International Oceans
Institute, SAIMI supports the
annual IOI Ocean Governance
for Africa course which equips
public sector officials from
South Africa and the African
continent to understand the
maritime aspects of environmental
management and
planning.
SAIMI is funded by a threeyear
grant of R296-million from
the National Skills Fund for the
skills and capacity-building
work to support Operation
Phakisa, an initiative of the
South African government.
The initiative was designed
to fast-track the implementation
of the oceans economy
and address issues highlighted
in the National Development
Plan 2030 such as poverty, unemployment
and inequality.
A common thread running
through all Operation Phakisa
initiatives is the need to develop
the skills to operate
the engine room, as well as
to navigate the way forward.
SAIMI is at the helm of this
skills development as well as
capacity building and empowerment
of people to support
the goals of Operation
Phakisa and growth of the
maritime economy.
61 SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2019