Dear Valued Stakeholder,

As 2022 draws to a close I want to take the opportunity to look back on a year that turned out much differently than anyone could have imagined. While it was certainly challenging in many ways, it also showed how strong we are and the potential that our maritime industry possesses.

We can take pride in the fact that when the pandemic brought the world to a halt and forced us to keep our distance from family, friends, and one another, the work we do help people to stay connected and made the difficult times hopefully a little easier. Post-pandemic days came and we were able to adjust to the new normal, embracing the changes that had been on our shores.

Due to financial restrictions, It becomes no easy task managing both the implementation of our programs, capacitating our employees, and the increased use of our networks and platforms, all the while continuing to provide a superior industry assistance experience and great content. Thousands of people across our industry depend on our channels and portals, both to stay informed and as the main source of information for all industry players.

The reliability of the service we provide and the quality of the content we offer define us. We rose to the challenge. Our networks and platforms passed the test, and we proved as an organization to be both robust and extremely flexible in the face of change. Making all means to spread the maritime concept and its offerings to many of our previously disadvantaged communities within KZN.

I’m proud to say that while 2022 might have had its challenges, it certainly didn’t stop us from growing as an organisation. We were part of three major international events, welcoming two master’s graduates from the World Maritime University, whilst sending another master’s candidate who will complete her studies at the end of 2023.

During the month of November, we launched a partnership with Concost Consulting, an agency for the Department of Public Works.  The agency will assist in the facilitation of a project specific to performing a study that undertakes the Value Chain Analysis of the KZN Maritime Economy for unlocking the opportunities in the Oceans Economy.

So, I want to thank you all for your contribution and commitment to growing and transforming our maritime industry.

We aim to cover all significant industry events in our newsletters, including all additional EMC projects that have been launched over the preceding month. We hope you will like reading this issue and find it fascinating.

Your feedback on any of our stories would be highly appreciated.

I hope that when you’re celebrating the holidays with friends and family you look back on the year with the same sense of accomplishment that we all should feel.

I wish you and your families a happy holiday season.

Zenzile Gwamanda| Managing Director |EThekwini Maritime Cluster|