SAMSA commits to address service delivery issues
Industry engagement highlights priorities
SOUTH AFRICA: The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) is facing the industry in a series of engagements where stakeholders are being encouraged to express their concerns and table the immediate challenges. Based on input at the session in Cape Town, most of the critical issues centre around service delivery.
The stakeholder engagements, which are also serving as an opportunity to introduce the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer – Captain Dennis Mqadi, have been met with cautious optimism by the industry who are eager to see improved efficiencies.
Speaking for the first time to the industry in a public forum, Mqadi openly acknowledged the existing challenges and affirmed SAMSA’s role. “It is important for the Maritime Authority to act as enabler for the industry. If we do not do this correctly, you are the ones that suffer,” he told stakeholders at the Cape Town engagement this week.
Alluding to a directive from the Minister of Transport for SAMSA to do what they are supposed to do, Mqadi noted the importance of aligning resources and staff to meet the distinctive needs of each region and their constituents.
Highlighting the “multiplier effect” of inadequate service delivery, the new CEO was open about the need to address the serious delays the industry faces with regard to certification, surveys and authorisation.
“In the SAMSA of the future, you should be able to visit our offices to get what you need, and not to stand in queues,” he quipped. “SAMSA needs to be fit-for-purpose, and we cannot do that without the right people,” he added.
Cpt Mqadi also spoke about the recent internal organisational review that sought to assess how SAMSA can better respond to the industry. He confirmed that the need to improve stakeholder engagement will be addressed and that a more focused approach is being instituted.
Growing maritime interests
Commenting on his visit to the International Maritime Organisation at the end of 2025, Mqadi indicated his interest in seeing the expansion of the South African registry. “Representatives from other countries were bragging about their tonnage. We are calling on industry stakeholders to help us address this,” he said in a clear call for proactive engagement.
“Representatives from other countries were bragging about their tonnage. We are calling on industry stakeholders to help us address this.”
The CEO is also intent on seeing an increase in the number of South African seafarers. “Our current seafarer register sits at 16,178,” he said as he labelled this as a miniscule percentage of the country’s population. “This is a very small number, and we want to see it increase,” he told delegates.
Noting developments by China to use autonomous vessels in their coastal waters, he emphasised the need to foster collaboration and follow international trends.
“B2B engagements such as this are important for us to work together and strengthen partnerships that navigate this future,” he said, adding that these engagements should not become exclusive but should be expanded to include everyone.
“We must reinforce dialogue as well as enhance regulation clarity and compliance. We are responsible for our oceans.”
“We must reinforce dialogue as well as enhance regulation clarity and compliance. We are responsible for our oceans,” he said as the floor was opened for questions.
Addressing service delivery
With representatives from a variety of maritime sectors present including fishing, training, shipping, salvage, marine services, ship repair and equipment suppliers, it was clear that the overarching demand from industry centres around the urgent need to address service delivery.
Input from the floor underscored the extent of the problem as delegates shared frustrating waits of up to two years to receive certification. Representatives questioned the systems in place to deal with reissuing certificates noting that priority should be given to finalising documents that have been in the system the longest.
In addition, mistakes on certificates exacerbate delays and annoyance.
Specific examples were raised by several stakeholders indicating that, in some cases, companies had been made to wait more than two years for documentation.
Feedback highlighted how interaction with the few inefficient SAMSA staff members serves to taint the reputation of the authority as a whole. “We want to be able to walk into a SAMSA office with a problem and walk out with a possible solution,” one industry representative told the SAMSA leadership team. “There is no sense of urgency. SAMSA must act faster,” another delegate added.
“There is no sense of urgency. SAMSA must act faster.”
Delegating many of the questions to the Acting COO, Thandi Mehlo, the CEO showed that he understands the strengths of his team.
To his credit, Mehlo was honest in accepting SAMSA’s responsibility for service delivery shortcomings. “We take full responsibility,” he said, adding that the need to attract and train people has been identified, alongside the challenge of competing with industry to retain skills.
“We are competing for skills. We train seafarers to become surveyors, and they are poached from us at two times the salary. This impacts on our service delivery, but we are working to capacitate our team and improve on turnaround times,” he explained adding that the appointment of vessel surveyors has been prioritised.
“We are competing for skills. We train seafarers to become surveyors, and they are poached from us at two times the salary. This impacts on our service delivery, but we are working to capacitate our team and improve on turnaround times.”
Digitalisation roadmap unveiled
During his address, Mqadi also updated the industry on SAMSA’s planned digital strategy over the next three to five years. The aim is to harness digitalisation to address some of the compromised areas of service delivery and to optimise systems.
According to the presentation this will improve application processes as well as help provide access to data, information and intelligence.
Addressing some of the backlogs raised by the industry, Ndzimeni Ramugondo (CIO of SAMSA) confirmed that intention of the digitalisation programme was to harmonise all processes.
Walking away from the session with a commitment from SAMSA to address the issues and improve stakeholder engagement, the mood was cautiously optimistic. For many, these promises are not new.
The industry will be expecting tangible confirmation that SAMSA has prioritised service delivery. They want to see a well-capacitated maritime authority that is equipped to respond to industry needs proactively, consistently and efficiently.
PHOTO: South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) leadership engage with maritime industry stakeholders at a B2B session in Cape Town. From left to right: Dr Thulisile Mbuli, Cpt Dennis Mqadi, Thandi Mehlo and Ndzimeni Ramugondo. (© Maritime Review Africa)
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