SOUTH AFRICA: Hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), the Marine and Associated Services Industry Day held in Durban last week aimed to close the gap between policy and practice in the industry by bringing together government and industry to discuss existing initiatives to support localisation and growth in marine manufacturing.

SOUTH AFRICA: Guests that included some of the initiators and sponsors of the iconic high school maritime training initiative gathered at the Labia yesterday in Cape Town to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Lawhill Maritime Academy.

The fanfare associated with the deal to reimagine the SA Agulhas and extend its legacy as a training vessel for South African cadets has faded leaving the vessel sitting under arrest in the Port of Durban as the crew await confirmation of whether they will be paid, and the future of the iconic icebreaker seems uncertain. Editor Colleen Jacka, met up with the man that chased the deal to secure the vessel over several years this week to discuss how the events of the last few months have seen him forced to sell his own shares in the company that owns the SA Agulhas and walk away in a moment that seems to have humbled him considerably.

MOROCCO: DP World has launched the Atlas service to boost fresh produce logistics between Morocco, the United Kingdom and Europe.

COMOROS: The Island State of Comoros has hailed its intention to explore its offshore opportunities with the announcement of an agreement to grant TGS the rights to market and license geophysical data covering the Comoros’s offshore basins.  

SOUTH AFRICA: The Bayhead Road rehabilitation project which commenced in June this year has been completed a month ahead of schedule, helping improve cargo movement in the Port of Durban for the busy festive season.

LIBERIA: The commissioning of the first semi-industrial fiberglass fishing vessel in Liberia and delivery of 23 newly constructed fibreglass canoes this week marks the country’s commitment to modernise its fisheries sector.

SOUTH AFRICA: A massive reach stacker weighing more than 100 tons has arrived in the country via the Port of Durban to boost container handling at C Steinweg Group’s Johannesburg facility for six months.