Damen’s first Fishing Seminar, held in Cape Town, was heralded a great success, with more than 60 participants attending from a broad cross-section of the industry, including the five major South African fishing companies, the company said in a press release.
Jeremy Marillier, Executive Director of FishSA, the representative of all the main industry associations in South Africa, commented: “The event was a good opportunity for different stakeholders from various sides of the industry to come together - to engage, listen and understand the current operating environment and various push and pull factors such as the cost of doing business, etc. It was a very informative day.” He added that the fishing industry would welcome more information days like these.
The Fishing Seminar, held on November 22 at DAMEN Shipyards Cape Town, was also chosen to launch Damen’s new fund, ‘Africa Ship Leasing’. Benny Bhali, Sales and Marketing Executive at DAMEN Shipyards Cape Town emphasised: “Damen wants to show how it can support the fishing community, both in terms of maintaining the existing fleet and also through the fund, which can help them develop their fleet and potentially replace ageing vessels. I think the fishing industry appreciated our efforts.”
It is worth noting that clearly these issues are of interest in other parts of southern Africa as companies from Namibia and Mozambique also attended, he pointed out. Participants also had a tour of DAMEN Shipyards Cape Town to highlight the advantages of building vessels ‘in Africa for Africa’.
“The South African government has some important initiatives to help develop the fleet but it won’t be able to achieve its ambitions on its own”, emphasised Mr Bhali. “But by working in partnership with industry and government we can provide creative solutions to move the market forward. Ultimately, I think we have started a conversation with the key players.”
Damen has delivered more than 1,200 vessels to customers in Africa over the years. Africa Ship Leasing was established in May 2018 and is already assisting owners in both Nigeria and Angola. Each lease agreement is tailormade. The customer begins by chartering the vessel for a certain number of years, while at the same time repaying the loan and the applicable interest. They then have the option to purchase the vessel during the tenor of the agreement and the obligation after the repayment period.
About DAMEN Shipyards Cape Town (Pty) Ltd:
Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) builds ships in Africa for Africa. To date, the yard has constructed & delivered 40 vessels to the African continent from its base in Cape Town, including offshore patrol vessels, dredgers, tugs, naval craft and platform supply vessels, some of which have been built for stock in order to ensure fast delivery. The DSCT Services & Repairs department has provided training, delivery, maintenance & repairs assistance to countries across the globe and especially to African countries seeking to source high quality services from South Africa.
Through thorough research, on-going evaluations and customer feedback, DSCT’s vessels are of the highest international quality standards and provide customers with the assurance of generations of proven high-tech commercial off-the-shelf (C.O.T.S) vessels.
DSCT has a well-established Apprenticeship Training Centre which is accredited by MerSETA and ChietaSETA. Apprentices selected for the Apprenticeship Training Centre program have the opportunity to obtain the necessary skills in order to achieve artisan status in Welding, Boiler Making, Pipe Fitting or Electrical and they are provided with a job opportunity at the same time. The first, second and third year apprentices are productive on the shop floor under the mentorship of qualified artisans until they pass their Trade Test. Once qualified, all apprentices have the opportunity to be absorbed into the business as artisans. To date, DSCT has trained 63 Apprentices of which 19 are female. DSCT’s Apprenticeship Training Centre is the true reflection of the yard’s commitment to the South African Governments economic initiative, known as Operation Phakisa, which aims to reach the potential of the South African Maritime Sector, including shipbuilding, and to accelerate economic growth and job creation.
Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. DAMEN has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept DAMEN is able to guarantee consistent quality.
Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, DAMEN vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.
Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.
For nearly all vessel types DAMEN offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. DAMEN also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.
Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating and (covered) drydocks, the largest of which is 420 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyages.