The OHS & Maritime Welfare Unit of the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) recently visited the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) to discuss issues related to seafarer welfare.
The visit forms part of SAMSA’s continued efforts to form stronger ties with maritime and transport organisations to enhance collaboration and enable us to serve the maritime community better.
The visit focused on issues affecting both the welfare of South African cadets as well as that of South African seafarers. The discussions included the latest developments around the world and on emerging issues affecting seafarers.
The two entities delved into the 2025 amendments of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and its implications.
SAMSA will continue to interact with related organisations on issues affecting seafarer welfare, as well as collaborate on initiatives focused on seafarer welfare.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) held its Annual General Metting (AGM) on Friday 18 September 2026 at its Pretoria Head Office.
The meeting was a culmination of the work that the authority has been doing to stabilise its operational and financial capabilities to steer a clear path in line with the SAMSA vision “To be a world-class safety and regulatory authority, championing South Africa’s global, regional and domestic maritime interests.”
SAMSA, under the leadership of Captain Dennis Mqadi with the support of the board, has achieved an 81% execution rate on its annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the 2025/26 financial year – a clear indicator of the steady progress toward operational excellence and a more capable, responsive entity.
It is important to acknowledge that the steady progress of the organisation is because of all the SAMSA employees who give their time and dedication to ensuring that SAMSA delivers on its mandate.
Following the introduction of the SAMSA Online Services earlier this year, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is pleased to announce that the Vessel Management System is now Live!
This development is a continuation of the SAMSA Digital Transformation Strategy that aims to deliver efficient, effective and secure digital services to better the service delivery to our users.
The following services will be available through the system: – User Registration – Vessel Registration – Vessel Licensing – Vessel Surveys
The Vessel Management System is a part of the SAMSA Online Services and has been integrated into the SAMSA website for ease of access, and can be found on the SAMSA website by clicking on the Services Tab on the menu bar, and then clicking on Online Services.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is proud to have participated in the South African Marine Spatial Planning National Working Group (SA MSP NWG) Capacity Development Workshop.
Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a long-term and strategic decision-making process that guides where and when human activities occur in the ocean. Making sure the right activity takes place in the right areas and helps facilitate the development of a sustainable blue economy – benefitting South Africans and the environment alike.
The workshop was held in Namibia on 17 –21 August 2026. The workshop focused on strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration and communication among NWG members to support integrated MSP implementation. It also looked at equipping NWG members with practical skills to effectively support and participate in the internal technical negotiations required for developing South Africa’s first Marine Area Plan.
The team engaged in overlay analysis, identifying hotspots and overlaps, sector-led compatibility assessments, scenario development, stakeholder engagement, and strengthening the South Africa’s MSP roadmap.
SAMSA was represented by Capt. Ravi Naicker, Senior Manager: Navigation, Security & Environment
As we reflect back on women’s month, we are reminded of the ongoing work in the maritime sector to ensure that women are given equal opportunities and that their human rights are protected.
On 31 August 2026, the last day of women’s month, the South African Maritime Safety Authority’s (SAMSA) Occupational Health & Safety and Maritime Welfare Unit made an ad-hoc visit to the vessel MV Goodwind in Cape Town as part of the awareness campaign under the GBV at Sea programme.
The visit was intended to drive the clear message that we must keep in mind the challenges that female seafarers continue to face at sea. This ad-hoc visit was well received by the ship officers and the crew.
The 2026 BIMCO and ICS Seafarer Workforce Report estimates active global seafarer numbers to be at 2.57 million with the number of female seafarers continuing to remain at just over 1% of the total seafarer workforce.
According to various reports, female seafarers continue to face various barriers to entry and encounter challenges in progressing in their careers. Female seafarers additionally face challenges such as discrimination based on gender, bullying, non-accommodative working environments, sexual harassment and sexual assault, blacklisting for those who dare to speak, shipowners not willing to provide cadetship berths to female seafarers or the denial to employ female seafarers at all.
These challenges are not only barriers to entry but affect the sustainability of gender programmes as many female seafarers feel discouraged and end up leaving their seafaring careers prematurely.
Between 2021 – 2025, about 29% of seafarers who enrolled in the country’s National Cadetship Programme were female. This is an encouraging figure that creates a challenge for SAMSA and other role players to continue with the efforts to curb these barriers.
South Africa, alongside international counterparts proposed extensive amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2026 (MLC 2006) to ensure that the subject of violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault is mainstreamed and is included in the MLC 2006 as well as other texts that provide for an accommodative environment to female seafarers.
The amendments which are expected to come into effect in December 2027 bring the following into the MLC, 2006
For the first time in the history of maritime related conventions, the subject of sexual harassment and sexual assault is addressed.
The amendments specify responsibilities for shipowners e.g. training, reporting, adoption and implementation of the policies on the subject.
Flag States such as RSA are to develop regulations that seek to eliminate and prohibit violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault as well as reporting mechanism that protects victims.
Port States such as RSA are to cooperate with other affected States during investigation of cases.
Seafarers are to comply with policies and other measures in place to prevent and address shipboard violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.
Labour supplying States (including Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Services) are to put measures in place to prevent and address violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault, in recruitment and placement processes.
Women’s month allowed us to reflect deeper on the struggles that female seafarers continue to face and reminds us that we all have a responsibility to ensure that women’s rights continue to be protected.
Seafarers who have been victims of violence and harassment, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault are reminded to contact SAMSA’s Maritime Welfare Unit via email on welfare@samsa.org.za. The email is manned by an official qualified in the subject and who will ensure confidentiality and sensitivity.
We wrapped up women’s month with a bang as the SAMSA women dressed up in their traditional gear and attended the WOMESA AGM.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) was hosted by the Department of Transport in Durban as part of the Department’s ongoing commitment to promoting gender equality, leadership development, and the meaningful participation of women in the maritime sector.
WOMESA is an initiative established under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Women in Maritime Programme to advance the participation, leadership, empowerment and professional development of women in the maritime sector. Since its launch in 2008, it has served as a platform for strengthening gender equality, capacity building, leadership development and regional cooperation across the maritime industry.
The AGM included attendance by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa who delivered the keynote address that reaffirmed government’s commitment to the empowerment, development and advancement of women in South Africa’s maritime sector. The second day of the AGM included a clean-up operation at the Durban port where the attendees of the AGM participated in a clean up activation that is a testament to the positive role that women play in the communities around them.
Women’s month has come to be an important observation because of the women who have historically made sacrifices that have contributed to making our country a better place for all. We see this too at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) as the impact that SAMSA women make is undeniable. From the women who keep our offices clean and organised, to the young minds that need to be developed and nurtured, to the decision makers, the movers and shakers, all of whom keep SAMSA’s engine running.
We showed this appreciation by putting together care packs that were sent to all SAMSA women to remind them that they matter. It has definitely been a month to remember.
The broader SAMSA stakeholder engagement programme began with the nation-wide Business to Business Stakeholder Engagement Sessions that were launched by our CEO, Captain Dennis Mqadi in March this year.
This initiative to build stronger stakeholder relationships and form new ones has been extended with key organisations and entities where our CEO, along with the SAMSA leadership have been having critical conversations to help advance South Africa’s maritime sector.
Recently, SAMSA visited the Institute for Maritime Technology (IMT) in Simons Town, Cape Town. The meeting focussed on the areas of collaboration between the two entities with a special focus on the issues relating to the safety of life and property at sea, whilst ensuring a sustainable maritime environment.
IMT is a subsidiary of Armscor and is one of South Africa’s trusted centres for maritime science, engineering and technology.
We look forward to the continued partnership with all our stakeholders and look forward to collaborations that will help advance environmental stewardship.
This year’s activation includes employee volunteerism where SAMSA employees will be actively packing meal packs to support vulnerable communities in need in line with the theme “It is in your hands”, which reminds us that combating poverty and inequity is everyone’s responsibility!
This is also an extension of the nearly revised SAMSA Values that are at the heart of the entity, supported by our CSI slogan “Caring for our Communities”.
The energy filled SAMSA employee activation demonstrates how our employees, who are the heart of the entity, contribute to meaningful social change.
Mandela Month is a call to action for individuals, communities and organisations to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles, and to take meaningful steps to make a positive impact in their own communities.
The call to action is as broad and as inclusive as possible, it seeks to inspire us to identify people in need around us, do what we can to make a difference with them and for them.
Employees from various SAMSA offices gathered to pack meal packs to support identified vulnerable communities in need in the efforts to help combat poverty and inequity!
The energy filled SAMSA employee activation demonstrated how our employees, who are the heart of the entity, contribute to meaningful social change.
In total, 24 343 meal packs were packed by the SAMSA family and will be distributed to identified communities to bring much needed relief to them.
The ongoing partnership with Rise Against Hunger, an NGO that specialises in meal aid programs reflects the true spirit of collective responsibility, demonstrating how strategic collaborations can lead to lasting community impact.
From City to Coast, we stepped up and showed up and actively contributed to ensuring that Mandela Month counts! We are proud of the SAMSA family for their dedication to uplifting communities and addressing food insecurity in vulnerable communities. SAMSA Cares!
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is pleased to introduce the SAMSA Online Services, our new service-centred system that digitalises and simplifies services for SAMSA stakeholders!
This is the continuation of the SAMSA Digital Transformation Strategy that aims to deliver efficient, effective and secure digital services to better the service delivery to our users.
The system will be rolled out in phases starting with the Seafarer Services module, with other additions that will be introduced later in the year.
The first phase of the Seafarer Services system will consist of online applications for level 3 assessment (L3A, or, Orals) for the 5 certificates listed below: Officer in charge of a navigational watch – STCW Reg II/1 Chief Mate (<3000GT) – STCW Reg II/2 Master (<3000GT) – STCW Reg II/2 Chief Mate – STCW Reg II/2 Master – STCW Reg II/2
The Seafarer Services system will allow seafarers to apply for the above-mentioned certificates digitally, by use of a user-friendly interface, that will grant users transparency through real-time application status updates.
The new system is intended to address the administrative burden on the SAMSA employees and improve service delivery turnaround.
The next phase of the project will include adding the outstanding 30 certificates which are subject to the L3A process. This phase will be followed by adding the certificates of proficiency, radio, revalidations and certificate of equivalence towards the end of the year. Other seafarer documents, such as seafarer record books, will be added to the portal as well.
The Online Services has been integrated into the SAMSA website for ease of access and can be found on the SAMSA website by clicking on the Services Tab on the menu bar, and then clicking on Online Services. The direct link to the system is as follows https://applications.samsa.org.za
A User guide has been uploaded to assist seafarers in navigating the system and can be found on the login screen. A query form is also available on the website for all support-related requests and can be found here https://www.samsa.org.za/contact-us?section=query-form
This new development is a testament of SAMSA’s promise of enhancing service delivery and overall stakeholder satisfaction.
