Women’s Month in South Africa came to a fitting conclusion with a conference and awards banquet that highlighted the contributions of women in the marine industry thereby honoring notable accomplishments and exchanging experiences.
The South African International Maritime Institute hosted the annual Imbokodo in Maritime Annual Conference 2023 as part of Women’s Month, providing a platform to acknowledge and celebrate women in maritime achievements, specifically focusing on their contributions to technological advancements in the industry. The unique awards ceremony organized by Saimi is a wonderful opportunity for self-reflection for all the sacrifices and achievements made by the outstanding people in this field.
During the day’s candid discussions, the attendees were eager to celebrate their peers’ notable accomplishments.
EThekwini Maritime Cluster would like to congratulate all the nine winners of the night who have been making notable contributions to the industry. EMC contributed by sponsoring the award for Best Mentor, and it was awarded to the well-deserving Captain Makhosi Mbokazi, who was recognized among a list of nominees for making strides with her work done internationally and in South Africa since she came back in 2022. In the past, Capt. Mbokazi has also been recognized for the Women’s Offshore Wavemaker Award in 2020.
Captain Mbokazi is a Marine Surveyor at the South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA). She is the founder of Marine Crew Welfare- a non-profit organization that provides welfare support to seafarers. The organization also runs a mentorship program for young and aspiring seafarers, especially female seafarers from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
Holding 15 years of invaluable experience in the industry in her humbleness Captain Mbokazi Comes with vast expertise in Shore based positions with Maersk, Fugro, Bourbon/Sonasurf & Denmarine as Vessel Manager/Superintendent/ADPA/ACSO & Marine Safety Advisor and is the first black female vessel coordinator for an international maritime/offshore survey company, first Chief officer for global drill company and currently the only black female Surfer pilot-engineer in Angola and South Africa.
Nine prizes totalling nine categories were given out to deserving participants. Among them were:
- Best Women in Maritime Business: Kgomotso Selokane – CEO of Heron Marine
- Making waves as a newcomer: Vuyisile Jaca – Global Ambassador for the Empowerment of Girls through Education on board the Maiden Factor
- Leading entity in Women Empowerment: Transnet National Ports Authority
- SHEROE in the sector: Debbie Owen – Lawhill Maritime Academy
- Most influential: Noxolo Ncayo – Research Analyst at the Ports Regulator of South Africa
- Best mentor: Captain Makhosi Mbokazi
- Star performer: Samantha Montes of CPUT Survival Centre
- Woman in Maritime Research: Dr Nomtha Hadi from Nelson Mandela University Business School
- Maritime Tech Innovator of the Year: Robyn Verrinder of UCT Engineering