CEO's Newsletter

Dear Stakeholder,

We conclude the year 2022 with a significant milestone: taking forward the continued measurement of the size and the contribution of the Ocean Economy to the GDP of South Africa. A workshop was recently hosted by SAIMI with major stakeholders to consider the various methodologies for measuring this important Sector of South Africa's Economy.?

The suggested methodologies by which the size of the ocean may be measured,??have the potential to provide key insights, an improved ocean policy design and an enhanced government intervention implementation. These are the first steps of a process towards improving the understanding of the Ocean Economy’s contribution to South Africa’s GDP, and towards sustainable development goals. I believe this is a critical task of the Institute as part of its Advocacy mandate which will improve the intersection between Science and Policy. In deepening the knowledge of what the oceans contribute to the local economy, we are able to continue building a strong growth trajectory to ensure a stable and prosperous Maritime Sector.

Cutting-edge research and development

It has been a busy and exciting time for the two SAIMI-funded Marine Robotics Centres at Nelson Mandela University and the University of Cape Town. Apart from the cutting-edge research and development taking place at these Innovation Hubs, students from both institutions formed part of an elite research expedition to Antarctica on board the Agulhas II.

The three-week trip, which started in Cape Town, formed part of the SCALE (Southern Ocean Seasonal Experiment) Winter Cruise of 2022 to collect data from autonomous sea ice observation platforms in support of Southern Hemisphere climate predictions. As SAIMI and the National Skills Fund, we are pleased to support students as part of the capacity and skills development initiatives that support the Economic Recovery of the country.?

Continuous awareness and advocacy

Youth and women continue to be the focus of our transformation agenda at SAIMI. The DIVE-IN Maritime Awareness Programme - with a dedicated (zero-rated) App and website - is testament of the transition to the usability and scalability of technology in spreading awareness about opportunities in the Ocean Economy. While we continue to reach the youth on all platforms, technology has become a critical tool to not only reach the youth, but also assist them in informed decision-making about a career in the Ocean Economy.

In August we also launched the Imbokodo Women’s Empowerment Programme. Much more than just an Awareness Campaign, the SAIMI Women’s programme entails a focussed and structured approach to addressing greater empowerment in the Maritime Sector. These strategic interventions include career support, entrepreneurial opportunities, and leadership mentoring to support women in taking up their rightful place in the Ocean Economy.?

Collaboration with diverse range of stakeholders

We appreciate the meaningful collaboration SAIMI has achieved in 2022 with you – our key stakeholders in the Ocean Economy, from across the globe. We value the feedback we receive from stakeholders across all sectors of government, industry and academia and translate this feedback back into the actions we take and discussions we have in the organisation. Our relationship with many of the stakeholders have deepened this year to become trusted partners – not only on the continent of Africa, but also with key international partners.??

Some recent international and national partnership highlights of 2022 are:

• Signing an MOU with the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU) for greater international collaboration;
• Supported by the National Skills Fund, SAMSA and SAMTRA, the signing of an agreement with the International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC) at CrewConnect to commence with a South African Cadet Training Programme in 2023/24 which would enhance opportunities for employment with the partner shipping companies;
• Strengthening our partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to develop youth skills and entrepreneurship in the maritime sector; and
• ?Appointing a service provider to support Maritime Education through the development of teacher qualifications at high school and TVET level.?

Looking ahead

As we mature as an international institution, it is important to keep delivering on our key mandates as an organisation. One of these, which will be a strong focus of SAIMI in 2023, is to pursue the development of a skills-forecasting model to address the challenge of supply and demand of skills and to reduce it to the best possible manner.?

We look forward to continuing partnering with you to grow our blue economy.

Odwa Mtati

Chief Executive Officer

South African International Maritime Institute