Partnership will celebrate South African women in maritime

Annual list to celebrate excellence, mentorship and expertise across the South African maritime industries

SOUTH AFRICA: Acknowledging International Day of Women in Maritime, Maritime Review Africa is pleased to announce a new partnership with Maritime EmpowerHer to compile an annual list of the top 25 women in the South African maritime space. The collaboration is being announced to coincide with the day set aside by the International Maritime Organisation to recognise women working across the sector.

The initiative was conceptualised by Mpho Monyane, founder of Maritime EmpowerHer who reached out to our editor, Colleen Jacka to explore a partnership opportunity. The partnership will draw on EmpowerHer’s focus on creating space and opportunity for women across the sector, and on Maritime Review Africa’s long-standing commitment to documenting the South African industry.

A broad and inclusive scope

The final list of women will draw from every corner of the maritime community. It is intended to reflect the depth and diversity of the sector by including nominations from shipping, ports, naval activity, marine science, the offshore industry, fisheries, maritime law, education, training and ocean governance.

Recognition will also span the public, private and civil society spaces, acknowledging women working in government, parastatals, industry associations and non-profit organisations. The aim is to ensure that women contributing in less visible roles receive the same consideration as those in more prominent positions.

A fair judging process

Although members of the public will be invited to nominate women they believe deserve to be recognised, the process to finalise the list will not be restricted to only those who were nominated. Independent research and a scouting process will help to ensure that the process does not become a popularity contest.

Each candidate will be assessed against a structured judging framework that uses a fair and transparent metric system.

The criteria will reflect:

◼︎ Efforts and sustained contributions to the maritime industries
◼︎ Resilience demonstrated in navigating the sector
◼︎ Mentorship of others, particularly women entering the industry
◼︎ Professionalism and integrity
◼︎ Demonstrated expertise within a chosen field

Recognition, not tokenism

Both Monyane and Jacka have been firm that the initiative is not intended as a tokenistic gesture. It is designed to acknowledge the meaningful, sustained work being done by women across the country and to create a credible annual record of those contributions.

The list will become a permanent feature on the South African maritime calendar, allowing new voices and emerging leaders to be recognised each year alongside those whose work continues to influence the sector.

Further details on the nomination process and the relevant timelines will be shared shortly.