The EThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC) is a non-profit company with the mandate to support and promote the maritime industry within Durban although at times it has a reach to other areas of KwaZulu-Natal. EMC champions and advocates for the maritime industry through bridging the gap between industrial policy from government and the private sector, thereby unleashing the economic growth in the maritime industry.

Since its inception EMC has continued to respond to international best practice within clustering models within the maritime industry and has created sub clusters along the value chain. The concept of clustering is widely used across the world to unleash economic growth that assists in job creation and enterprise development.

The objectives of EMC are to:
• Spearhead economic transformation through maritime enterprise development initiatives
• Promote the maritime industry locally, nationally and globally
• Contribute to an inclusive maritime training and skills development that will afford equal opportunity to all
• Facilitate marine manufacturing by promoting local shipbuilding, ship repair and boat building to increase employment and economic growth
• Contribute towards the promotion of marine and coastal tourism
• Promote research capacity in the above programmes for the maritime sector

PROGRAMMES OF THE ETHEKWINI MARITIME CLUSTER
EMC has four programmes but is currently looking at incorporating Marine and Coastal Tourism as the fifth programme and they are:

1. ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
This programme is positioned to spearhead economic transformation in the maritime sector through Enterprise Development initiatives, by identifying projects and business opportunities that can benefit small businesses, which include youth and women businesses, assisting the transformation agenda in the maritime industry.

In 2015 EMC established the incubator and business accelerator programmes to assist small businesses to enter the maritime industry. Candidates on these projects are receiving training and mentoring to develop their business skills and ensure sound enterprise practises. The project Entrepreneur Me, was initiated which addresses the needs of unemployed graduates. Unemployed engineering graduates have since set up their own enterprises and EMC is assisting with their incubation as well as market access.

2. INDUSTRY PROMOTION
This programme is positioning Durban as a Smart Port City, which will optimise the port-city territories and the constant cargo flows passing through Durban. Further to this EMC hosts workshops, conferences, and events to provide networking opportunities to facilitate knowledge and port information sharing through collaborative engagements.

Collaborative working among stakeholders in the maritime industry was one of the key messages in this year’s annual EMC Women in Maritime webinar. The webinar was themed ‘Women Charting a Course Towards Collaboration’. This prestigious event was held in August and was broadcasted live on the EMC Facebook page.

3. TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
The Training & Skills Development programme facilitates capacity building within the sector by providing the necessary intervention to position Durban as a Centre of Maritime Education. This will contribute to inclusive Maritime Training and Skills that will afford equal opportunity that will unleash and improve the capacity building.

A key deliverable of this programme is to develop the City as a centre of excellence in maritime education. We have set projects to achieve this by assisting at High School Level as well as working with Tertiary Institutions in KwaZulu-Natal to position and market the offering world-wide. We also have a graduate placement programme that is active in assisting graduates to obtain experience in and of the maritime industry and we do our best to retain such skill within the Maritime Sector.

EMC, in partnership with the Department of Education, UKZN, DUT, Transnet Maritime School of Excellence, South African Association of Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) facilitate educator’s workshops, as an intervention to capacitate maritime educators. This is in line with EMC’s mandate to improve education and training for the maritime industry and to enable talented people to enter the industry, starting with High School level.

EMC continues to facilitate a collaborative engagement of relevant stakeholders, even global stakeholders in order to advance skills development in the maritime sector. As EMC we believe we can do more in the future with the industry’s support and efforts in cohesive collaboration.

4. MARINE MANUFACTURING
The objective of this programme is to factor the development and growth of the boat and ship building and ship repair sectors which offer good opportunities for employment creation. EMC is currently working on setting up a Boat Building Park in Durban closer to mooring and launching facilities, which will position our boat builders as world class competitors.

INNOVATION
EMC also intends to contribute immensely in bringing innovation to the forefront of doing business at the port in this industry as we are moving towards the fourth industrial revolution. The Cluster encourages every young innovative thinker within the sector of expertise to be an ambassador of change and to be part of spearheading the innovations for a sustainable blue oceans economy. In doing so, EMC has partnered with Innovate Durban for an annual challenge where young innovators collaborate in solving real maritime operations related issues. The significant of this development and innovative initiative is to encourage maritime research and provide problem solving for a sustainable economic growth of this industry.

Full Name of Company: EThekwini Maritime Cluster
Nature of Business: Non-profit company
Services / Products: Maritime industry development platform
Date Established: 4 June 2008
Customer Base: Businesses within the maritime industry
Memberships: Durban Chamber; AIVP
B-BBEE Status: Socio-Economic Development 100% / Enterprise and Supplier Development 100%

VISION
To be the knowledge and innovation hub for the South African Maritime sector, globally.

MISSION
To be the centre of knowledge and innovation that fosters collaborative economic growth through world class programmes for the Maritime sector.

KEY PERSONNEL
Acting Managing Director: Zenzile Gwamanda
Financial Manager: Ubucule Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Inc.

CONTACT DETAILS
Address: 1601 The Marine, 22 Dorothy Nyembe Street, Durban, 4000
Tel: +27 (0)31 301 0950/09
E-mail: info@maritimecluster.co.za
Website: www.maritimecluster.co.za