The purpose of the meeting at the Pinetown Campus was to provide the College with guidance and options on the development and implementation of a fit-for-purpose curriculum aligned to industry needs.

Representatives from Elangeni TVET College were in attendance including Mr. Thandukwazi Magcaba (Change Practitioner), Mrs. Thilo Dookie (Pinetown Campus Manager), Ms. Kessni Uphadaya (AD: Curriculum), Ms. Zandisiwe Ngwazi (Accreditation Officer), Mr. Thabani Sibiya (Dep: Registration and Partnerships), and Mr. Musa Shabane (CFO). EMC was represented by Mrs. Zenzile Gwamanda (Managing Director), Nikil Cheddy and Phindile Msomi (Marine Manufacturing), and Sibusiso Zondo from the Training and Skills Development Programme.

Elangeni TVET College has already placed four students for Boiler Making training at Sandock Austral Shipyards, the largest shipyard in Southern Africa. The institution is expected to host Mr. Kusche for a week to visit its various campuses in Durban.

The two-day bootcamp formed part of the next phase of the Marine Youth Innovation Challenge that was first held by EMC earlier this year. The training session also marked the incubation stage for participating entrepreneurs.

Day one consisted of the Founder’s 30 seconds pitch challenge, design thinking, problem solving, and a CANVA hackathon amongst other exercises. The second and final day of the bootcamp placed a strong emphasis on the art of storytelling equipping the innovators with the ability to effectively communicate their ideas.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Board at the EThekwini Maritime Cluster, Mr. Sandile Khoza, said this is a lifetime opportunity for the innovation challenge candidates.

“Many people wanted to be here to make a change. Use this opportunity, don’t just be glad that you are here. The important thing is what you are going to do with the knowledge you have gained here. You must be open to learning and be comfortable to unlearn and re-learn.”

“Follow the right people – EMC is right here to support you. For every problem that exists, someone must solve it. Every billionaire or millionaire that you see, saw an opportunity. I hope all of you become successful in what you do. Our country can only move forward when young professionals thrive and when Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) are supported,” said Khoza.

The bootcamp played a key role in advancing innovation and sustaining momentum within the blue economy.

The purpose of the conference was to build Africa’s maritime talent pipeline through pooled training and placement partnerships.

Various stakeholders were part of the conference namely, EThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC), Durban University of Technology, the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal, and Southern Africa Maritime & Logistics Experts.

One of the main objectives of the conference was to reconcile the disparity between the demand for and supply of Africa maritime competencies; and facilitate collaboration between maritime authorities, training institutions, ship owners, and industry partners.

Speaking to EMC, Director of Business Development at Elethu Marine, Siphosenkosi Mthembu, said the purpose of the conference is to address the challenges faced by maritime graduates.

“We want to address the challenges faced by maritime professionals, particularly sea farers who struggle to secure berth on board vessels after graduation. It doesn’t end there, we have officials who are struggling to find employment even though they are qualified,” said Mthembu.

He added that the challenge is widespread and that AMTEP is closely monitoring it. He further noted that they are working with partners within the pool to address the issue in the short term. However, he indicated that longer-term interventions are also being developed to address the matter sustainably.

Over several days, participants were introduced to:

• Practical sailing skills, including boat handling, knots, and wind awareness
• How the Durban Harbour operates as a busy commercial port
• Water safety, first aid, and understanding marine hazards
• Navigation principles such as time, speed, and distance
• Maritime heritage and the environmental impact of marine pollution
• Hands-on experiences including harbour tours, team-building activities, and pool-based safety training

Despite challenging weather conditions, the programme was successfully adapted to ensure that the Margot Fonteyn Secondary School pupils received a meaningful and interactive maritime learning experience.

A big thank you to our sponsor, AMSOL – African Marine Solutions Group, for making this empowering learning experience possible.

AMSOL is hereby inviting unbonded students who will be studying at a tertiary institution or at a SAMSA-accredited training facility in 2026, to apply for bursaries in the following disciplines:

• Bachelor of Marine Engineering
• Bachelor of Nautical Science
• Office in Charge of a Navigational Watch (Deck Officer)

REQUIREMENTS

• South African citizenship
• Grade 12 with a minimum Level 5
  or 60% in English, Mathematics
  and Physical Science
• Unbonded students (i.e. have not
  been awarded bursaries by any
  other party for 2026

Interested and qualifying applicants are invited to submit the following documents via email by the closing date to careers@amsol.co.za, marked clearly in the email subject line for the attention of “2026 Bursary Committee”.

• Letter of Motivation
• Curriculum Vitae (CV), including
  contactable references
• Final Grade 12 Results (National
  Senior Certificate) / Final Grade 11
• Results / latest Tertiary Results
• Proof of Application/Registration
  at a Tertiary Institution for 2026

Interested and qualifying applicants are invited to their applications via email to careers@amsol.co.za

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Bursary may have a contractual employment obligation, at the discretion of AMSOL, based on operational requirements.
• Students are responsible for their own registration at a Tertiary Institution for 2026.
• Basic bursary will cover tuition as a minimum. Other expenses including residence and textbooks will be awarded at the discretion
  of AMSOL, depending on financial and personal circumstances.
• Selection will be made in accordance with AMSOL’s Employment Equity Plan.
• Should you not be contacted within 2 months after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Closing Date: 30 September 2025

Article by Thuso Mhlambi | From the Desk of The CFO

In the aftermath of the Trump inauguration and the promises to action and immediate change during his speech, there are many factors that we could look at in trying to figure out why our country is struggling to grow and take advantage of the many opportunities that surround us.  In my opinion we need to become a results-based society where productivity is rewarded instead of the incumbent system where cronyism and nepotism abounds.

A patronage system in politics speaks to a political party coming into power and using their platform to give government jobs to friends (cronyism) and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working towards the victory. In this type of environment, corruption, shady political compromises and backroom deals thrive.  Countries that have avoided or overcome episodes of mass-based patronage politics have established institutions that insulate public administrations from case-by-case political interference. They have achieved high levels of economic prosperity and equality.  Thirty years after the end of apartheid, South Africa’s economy is struggling, Gross domestic product per person is down, Unemployment and poverty are rampant, and there seems to be no answers from our government.  Rather than coordinating a credible response to this demise, the South African state is in crisis.  Public administration services are low, if present at all, and our politics is fundamentally corrupted.

In public administration, efficiency is achieved by systematically dividing tasks and acting by getting staff to follow procedures, rules and systems correctly. Elected political leaders are held accountable to how they exercise oversight over their department, and equity is attained by meting out uniformity in services, results are achieved by treating all similar cases in the same way. The guiding principle of the patronage system is loyalty, elected politicians owe their loyalty to the minister or president who put them in their position, they don’t show loyalty to the citizens they serve.

Is meritocracy the answer? Meritocracy grew in popularity in the 1960’s as the working class sought to replace the existing aristocracy of the time where your success depended on your lineage and family endowments. One could argue that the patronage system is slowly breeding a group of new aristocratic elites in South Africa, ones not born of wealth and position but those that snatched it from the hands of an apartheid government. I suppose there needs to be an acceptance that elites aren’t removed but instead they are replaced by a new group who inevitably will seek to imbed themselves and close rank to secure their newfound riches and status.

Perhaps the most formidable criticism of meritocracy is that the very nature of merit and how it can be assessed can be challenging to discern. The challenge here is that the theory of meritocracy presupposes the possibility of equality of opportunity. In a country as unequal as South Africa it could be argued that we don’t have the foundations needed to implement a system where rewards are allocated to those with abilities to perform. What further exacerbates the issue is our failing education system. Social mobility is a challenge for millions of people in our country due to the inability to access quality education. Skills and knowledge are the bedrock of meritocratic ambitions.  South Africa has deeply complex problems and deeply complex problems need highly intelligent people to address the issues, meritocracy seems like the default turnaround that we need. We need to see accountability in the state, we need competent and knowledgeable people running with the objective of the National development Plan.

Should our government move from a system of patronage to a meritocracy? I must admit, the answer is not apparent, at least not to me, but that doesn’t mean we must sit idly by as our country continues to experience an economic malaise that sees unemployment and inequality rise. In the medical profession, and indeed the bible, to fix something you first need to name the problem (diagnosis), and that is my aim with this short thesis. And its name is patronage.

Source: Linsen Nambi