Norway’s Torvald Klaveness has explained how an initiative in South Africa is providing a new source of seafarers.
The fleet of bulkers and combination carriers is largely operated by Filipinos, Romanians and a minority share of other Europeans.
But now, thanks to vice president of maritime personnel Torbjorn Eide, a 5% — and growing — share of South Africans are on board.
The project has primarily been pioneered by Eide for the past decade.
He said: “Complementing the nationalities aboard our vessels is an important and valuable experience for our sailors, and we see South Africa as a well of untapped potential from a skills and people development perspective.”
All crewing is handled by Klaveness Ship Management (KSM).
Future ratings are recruited from the age of 18 and progress through a training programme, prior to becoming deck and engine personnel.
Eide explained: “Once we learned investing in South Africa could bring new opportunities, we were quick to discover there lies our next generation of sea talent.”
Klaveness works with The Impande Foundation in the Ugu region, which is near Durban.
Director for Impande Norway, Andrea Lothe, said the organisation provides more than 1m meals annually to children in kindergartens.
Big ambitions
Wonderboy Nzimande and Martin Mluleki Gambushe are two of the South African nationals that hail from the Ugu district and currently sail with Klaveness.
Both are deck cadets on the 82,000-dwt combination carrier Baru (built 2019).
Nzimande started as an engine hand in 2015.
“If the crew on board always gives a welcoming hand, it makes the ship a home away from home,” he said.
Gambushe, who began as a deck hand in 2017, added that working in a safe and healthy environment is essential.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to be one of the few South Africans on board, knowing that teamwork is our culture,” the seafarer said.
Nzimande’s long-term goal is to become a master, adding that his skills, “combined with the good training received from wonderful and experienced senior officers”, give him that potential.
Gambushe is striving for similar, with an aim to become one of KSM’s senior officers and pass his knowledge on to future generations.
Eide and his team plan to further develop the South Africa region for future recruits, welcoming more young sailors from the Ugu district as ratings, and directly from Durban University as cadets.
