The private sector has put its money where its mouth is to help realise the government’s ambitious plan to develop a domestically registered national fleet of trade vessels, as outlined in the Comprehensive Maritime Transport Policy (CMTP).
Privately owned shipowner Vuka Marine has added one more cargo ship – the largest of its class – to the South African Ship Register with the full backing of its mining client, Anglo American.
The vessel, a 206 000 dwt Newcastlemax built in 2005, brings into the country’s ship register a cumulative deadweight capacity of 630 000 tonnes since 2015.
All of the company’s vessels have Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) in the Eastern Cape Province as their home port.
Pranill Ramchander, executive head of corporate affairs at Anglo American, said it was important to support the South African economy through direct investment in shipping and associated infrastructure.
