Just over 70 percent of all African countries border the ocean, creating a 26,000 nm coastline and a 13 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zone (according to a report published by the Institute of Security Studies in 2021). As a continent, this may not be the longest coastline or largest EEZ, but Africa’s desire to capitalise the opportunities presented by the Blue Economy should be seen as a critical strategy to improve the continent’s economic and social outlook.

SOUTH AFRICA: A long-time issue in the Port of Durban is being addressed as Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) begins work on a major road rehabilitation project to reduce congestion on the Bayhead Road which acts as a critical accessway to port terminals, warehouses and industrial facilities.

MAURITIUS: Mauritius has announced that they will establish a maritime coordination centre supported by the launch of the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) programme which will provide capacity-building and equipment to respond to maritime threats.

The Invest in African Energy Forum held in Paris last month highlighted some of the current investments underway across the continent including ExxonMobil’s $10 billion plans in Nigeria, to TotalEnergies’ multibillion-dollar ventures in Mozambique and Namibia, and Eni’s gas monetisation projects in Libya and the Republic of Congo.

SOUTH AFRICA: In an initiative to improve labour standards and promote decent work in the commercial fishing sector, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and the Department of Employment and Labour’s (DEL) Inspectorate and Enforcement Services Branch have started joint inspections on fishing vessels operating out of Cape Town.

MOZAMBIQUE: President Daniel Chapo attended a ceremony at the Matola Coal Terminal on Friday to celebrate the expansion of the Coal Terminal and the the inauguration of the new headquarters of Grindrod Moçambique.

SOUTH AFRICA: In a surprising turn of events, SAMSA Maritime Special Projects (MSP) is not listed amongst the bidders for the ship management contract to run the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE) SA Agulhas II and Algoa which closed earlier this month.

NIGERIA: Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), a subsidiary of Shell plc, signed an agreement with TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited this week to acquire its 12.5% stake in the OML 118 Production Sharing Contract (OML 118 PSC), an oil mining lease offshore Nigeria that includes the Bonga field. Upon completion, this transaction increases Shell’s interest in the OML 118 PSC from 55% to 67.5%