In early November, the Sail Africa Youth Development Foundation, with the eThekwini Maritime Cluster, successfully delivered the Welcome to Water Programme to two groups of aspiring maritime talent – learners from Margot Fonteyn Secondary School and students from the Durban University of Technology’s sports and maritime studies departments.

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.