Maritime professionals association set for June launch

It’s all systems go for the
SA Maritime Professionals
Association which has
attracted members from
around the country and met
with captains of industry ahead
of its official launch on June 4.
Sampa president and
founder, Mbongi Qwabe, said
he had formed the association
to address professionals’ needs
and to give them a united voice
in order to address policy and
skills development challenges
and transformation. Qwabe is
an agency ship operator with
Phosfert Marine and previously
worked for Rennies Ships
Agencies.
“Sampa has rapidly managed
to generate significant interest
from professionals within the
industry, and although the
association is fairly new, the
exciting news is that we have
a national footprint already,
as the association is already
represented in different
parts of the country,” Qwabe
said. Sampa had formed two
chapters in Richards Bay and
Durban and had members in
Gauteng, Cape Town, and East
London, he said.
“Our leadership has had
an opportunity to meet and
introduce the association to
the national Department of
Transport (DoT), SA Maritime
Safety Association (Samsa), SA
Association of Ship Operators
and Agents (Saasoa) and others
– and the initiative has been
warmly welcomed,” he said.
Qwabe said Sampa aimed to
attract, transform and retain
professionalism within the
industry and to be an effective
communication channel
and networking platform.
It will provide mentoring
and coaching to members
and co-operate with other
professional
organisations
locally and
abroad.
Qwabe said
there were
currently
limited
development
prospects
within the
industry,
especially in the
private sector.
“The playing
fields remain
unequal and there is stagnation
in terms of transformation in
the sector. As professionals
we are not represented in the
main shipping forums and
committees that are discussing
crucial issues pertaining to the
maritime industry,” he said.
And despite maritime being
a multi-billion dollar industry
the formation of a professional
association had until now not
been given the attention it
deserved, he added.
“In the past some efforts
were made to start an initiative,
which was meant to provide
a platform for black South
Africans to play some kind
of a role in the advancement
and promotion of blacks in
the sector, but this was not
successful,”
Qwabe said.
Sampa’s
priorities
over the next
year were
to represent
professionals
on policymaking
decision
committees,
provide a
networking
platform where
professionals
could associate
with industry captains and
policy makers, and to promote
training and development, he
added.
For further details email
info@sampa.co.za
INSERT & CAPTION
The playing fields
remain unequal and
there is stagnation
in terms of
transformation in the
sector.
– Mbongi Qwabe