With so much going on in the maritime space, it is often difficult to keep track of trends and developments. Social media posts jostle for our attention as companies, organisations, individuals and influencers seek the perfect blend of hook and substance to attract our attention as they mine for our likes and reposts. It is difficult not to get lost wandering around in this noisy virtual arena – and it is even more difficult to take the time and focus on just one thing. In this first part of a series of articles discussing the State of the South African Maritime Nation, editor, Colleen Jacka, sifts through information from sources that include conferences, recent events and doom scrolling across social media.

KENYA: Completed at a cost of over $20 million, the newly constructed Shimoni Fish Port facility was handed over to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) last week by contractors, Southern Engineering Company (SECO).

ANGOLA: TotalEnergies officially started production from the Begonia and Clov Phase 3 offshore projects, leveraging ullage in the PAZFLOR and CLOV floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSO) to add a total of 60,000 barrels a day of new production.

MADAGASCAR: African nations united to strengthen Port State control (PSC) and combat plastic pollution at sea with the support of the GloLitter Partnerships Project in Madagascar earlier this month.

Cape Town is playing host to an exciting new event later this year aimed at building on the potential of the boating sector across the African continent. Scheduled for October, the first ever African Boating Conference is a long overdue addition to the maritime calendar and focuses on a sector that is not often included in formal discussions. Maritime Review Africa spoke with organiser, Veda Pretorius, about what participants can expect and her ambitions to foster a boating ecosystem that includes the development of marinas, slipways, repairs, equipment and more.  

NIGERIA: The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in its role as the Designated Authority for implementing the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code in Nigeria, has shut down ShellPlux and TMDK Terminals, both located in the Ijegun-Egba area of Lagos.

TANZANIA: Two fast search and rescue boats and a modern ambulance vessel have been brought into service in Tanzania to improve safety in the Lake Victoria area.

SOUTH AFRICA: The public has until 14 August to submit comments on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report and its Non-Technical Summary (NTS) undertaken on behalf of Main Street (Pty) Ltd who are seeking to conduct an offshore survey campaign.