Imbokodo – Today we celebrated the role of women in the Maritime Environment at the NMU SAIMI Campus in Summerstrand, Gqeberha.
Below are selected sound bites from some of the different speakers:
Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Port Of Durban Port Manager – In this month my heart goes out to the women who are not publicly acknowledged for they are the real heroes.
Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Port Of Durban Port Manager – “We are also building our own WATERFRONT”.
Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Port Of Durban Port Manager – “We have an ideal opportunity to fill a gap and embark on large scale Ship Repair” “MSC have committed to bring a minimum of 11 ships into a purpose built dry dock in Durban.
Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Port Of Durban Port Manager – “The Port of Durban has a revenue of around R6.6 Billion and is headed by a woman from the rural areas!”
Nompumelelo “Mpumi” Dweba-Kwetana has over 20 years of experience in maritime, logistics and port operations and is a qualified maritime economist. She served as a Port Manager at the Port of Ngqura for 4 years 6 months and Port Manager Port of Cape Town for 4 years 6 months. She currently leads the Port of Durban.
Her experience in the maritime space and leadership is not limited to Transnet. She was the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Auditor for the South African Government under the IMO Voluntary Organization Audit Scheme and has experience as the Secretariat for the South Af rican and Global BRICS Business Council. She chaired Port Operations, Marine Protection, Safety & Security Committee, a sub- committee of the Port Management Association for the Eastern & Southern Africa (PMAESA). Phyllis was a member of the Government established South African Working Group to review legislation and develop new enabling maritime labour legislation as a process of ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention. She also participated in the Presidential Ocean Lab initiative intended to maximise the economic potential of South Africa’s ocean. She was the Councillor for the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), for two consecutive Terms. As the Chairperson for the Human Resources Committee of the Council, she was able to participate in pushing transformation agenda in the Council. Phyllis was the Department of Trade and Industry Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Advisory Board Member. Also served as the Chairperson of the SEZ Technical Advisory Committee. She got the Awards for Global Ports & Terminal Woman of the Year 2018 and Certified Global Port Manager Award 2018. She is the newly elected Chairperson of Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, SA Chapter.
Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI – Drones in ports act as a data collection tool.
Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI – African ship owners face two major hurdles – Financiers and Piracy, High Credit Risk Profile
Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI – The 2020 Global Sulphur Cap Limit has created a new way of working and thinking for ship owners. Scrubbers are not an ideal solution. The black smoke from ships is the sulphur burning off. Drones are used to ‘sniff’ the sulphur content in ships fuel.
Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI – 3 Illegal Activities that Ship owners want to prevent: Human Traficking, Arms and Illegal Smuggling – each emits a distinct smell which could be detected by a drone faster and more efficiently than present methods.
Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI – Currently only 3-5% of containers worldwide are being physically inspected. That number is even lower in South Africa.
Simone Smith-Godfrey is a Maritime Specialist, having obtained a B Comm Law and a B Phil Maritime Studies from the University of Stellenbosch with a LLM in Maritime Law at the University of KwaZulu Natal in progress. Simone was a Maersk International Shipping Education Trainee at A. P. Moller at the beginning of her career. Her career in the maritime industry started off in the corporate sector where she worked on various legs of the maritime value chain before she entered the research sector, providing her with a unique perspective that are reflected in her publications. She has authored several research publications in the maritime industry ranging from Piracy, Cabotage and Drones in Ports. Her published works in the Blue Economy includes a definition, incorporation of 4IR technologies, marine spatial planning, performance indicators for societal value and the sustainability of the Blue Economy.
Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto, Chairperson of Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, SA Chapter: “WOMESA, was initiated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and launched in December 2007, in Mombasa, Kenya”.
Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto; “WOMESA’s Mission is to advocate gender equity, improve women’s access to maritime training and technology and promote their advancement to key decision making levels in the maritime sector in Eastern and Southern Africa.”
Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto; “Comparing DUT and CPUT with the World Maritime University – South Africa is lacking in innovation and training.”
Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto; “We believe that for us [women] to succeed we need to create an enabling environment for women. Whatever happens at sea must not stay at sea!”
Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto is a business executive of more than 20 years’ experience in operations, maritime, human resources, legal, dispute prevention and resolution with transformational leadership experience, natural ability to cultivate relationships and value driven decision making. She worked as the Senior Commissioner for the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). She has a long history in Transnet that commenced in 2005. Phyllis has held numerous executive positions within Transnet, making her a well-rounded and grounded individual in senior management. Her Masters Degree in Law; Masters of Commerce in Maritime and Masters in Business Leadership as well as extensive experience at Transnet Group and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) have given her in- depth understanding of logistics industry and seaborne trade.
Her experience in the maritime space and leadership is not limited to Transnet. She was the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Auditor for the South African Government under the IMO Voluntary Organization Audit Scheme and has experience as the Secretariat for the South Af rican and Global BRICS Business Council. She chaired Port Operations, Marine Protection, Safety & Security Committee, a sub- committee of the Port Management Association for the Eastern & Southern Africa (PMAESA). Phyllis was a member of the Government established South African Working Group to review legislation and develop new enabling maritime labour legislation as a process of ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention. She also participated in the Presidential Ocean Lab initiative intended to maximise the economic potential of South Africa’s ocean. She was the Councillor for the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP), for two consecutive Terms. As the Chairperson for the Human Resources Committee of the Council, she was able to participate in pushing transformation agenda in the Council. Phyllis was the Department of Trade and Industry Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Advisory Board Member. Also served as the Chairperson of the SEZ Technical Advisory Committee. She got the Awards for Global Ports & Terminal Woman of the Year 2018 and Certified Global Port Manager Award 2018. She is the newly elected Chairperson of Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, SA Chapter.
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “The Fourth Industrial Revolution offers exciting opportunities to better manage oceans.”
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “The Maritime Industry carries over 90% of the World’s Trade goods.”
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “ICT contributes to safety and efficiency in the Maritime Environment.”
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “ICT opportunites in the Maritime Sector: 1. AI, 2. IoT, 3.Robotics & Automation, 4. Blockchain, 5. Advanced Monitoring Systems, 6. Big Data & Analytics”
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “ICT Challenges – 1. Connectivity in Remote Areas, 2. Legacy Systems, 3. Ineroperability, 4. Data Management, 4. Remote Monitoring, 5. Weather & Environmental factors, 6. Regulatory Compliance, 7. Training and Skills Gap, 8. Data Privacy, 9. Cyber Security Risk”
Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course – “The cyber attack on Transnet was a sign to get ready to counter cyber espionage.”
Prof Noluxolo Gcaza has always been an evangelist for cyber safety and became increasingly concerned about the prevalence of cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content among children and the youth. Motivated by her desire to make a positive change, she took action and founded The Cyberculture Foundation to promote responsible internet use and digital wellness among children and youth. The foundation offers digital citizenship training, digital wellness education, a digital mentorship programme, community workshops, as well as research and advocacy.
As an associate professor at Mandela University, she is leading the new cybersecurity postgraduate course. She has also mentored and coached young women in IT on Heels. Noluxolo serves as an independent non-executive director for the South African Banking Risk Information Centre. In her research efforts, she strives to make cybersecurity accessible in different contexts. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, cybersecurity governance, cybersecurity awareness, and education as well as cybersecurity culture. In addition, Prof Gcaza is a member of the Advisory Panel of the Information and Cyber Security Centre at the CSIR. In the past, she served on the ICT Governance Committee at the CSIR and as a board member in SaveTnet, a non-profit organization that focuses on fostering a culture of cyber security in a community setting by creating a network of professionals that can assist cybercrime victims. She also contributes to the South African Bureau of Standards an active member of the Information Security Technical Committee.
Prof Gcaza is a winner of the InspiringFiftySA 2019 awards, which were introduced to South Africa in 2017 by former Dutch consul-general Bonnie Horbach, who sought to increase the visibility of successful women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). She was recently announced as one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans for 2023 in the Education category.
Prof. Momoko Kitada, Professor, World Maritime University (Sweden); “We don’t say MANned or unMANned, we say CREWed or unCREWed when referring to autonomous ships.”
Prof. Momoko Kitada, Professor, World Maritime University (Sweden); “The age profiles of management in the maritime sector is increasing”
Prof. Momoko Kitada, Professor, World Maritime University (Sweden); “Our progress as women in the maritime industry at present is quite marginal. e.g. Industry is not actively recruiting women. Quite disappointing.”
Prof. Momoko Kitada, Professor, World Maritime University (Sweden); “Established in 1983, the WMU has nearly 6000 Alumni from over 140 countries, at present 38% of students are women.”
Professor Momoko Kitada is a former seafarer and was awarded a PhD in Social Science from Cardiff University, UK. She joined WMU in 2011 and serves as Full Professor in Maritime Education and Training (MET). She coordinates and teaches in the Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Energy as well as the Summer Institute on Maritime Decarbonization. Dr. Kitada leads WMU’s collaboration efforts with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in terms of women’s integration in the maritime sector. She is a certified Gender Audit Facilitator as well as a certified Monitoring and Evaluation expert. She works for IMO in the joint evaluation and internal audit of the IMO’s gender activities.
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “We need to recognise how critical our SA oceans are with regards to climate change and their influence on the globe.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “The Southern Ocean takes up 50% of the Worlds Carbon Dioxide emmissions – an increase in temperature may negatively affect this uptake.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “Autonomous Wave Riders are the answer to uncrewed remote monitoring of Carbon Dioxide in the ocean.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “Women are not really that well represented (7%) in the maritime ocean sciences environment. BUT, the lanscape is changing.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “The Southern Ocean Carbon Climate Observatory has a very high representation of women.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “At SOCA we target research universities for oeople with core foundations in science and physics before they study for a PHD.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “We are in a climate crisis and we cannot have 50% of the population (men) only looking at solutions to this problem.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “Redusing emmissions is likely to become the biggest industry on this planet.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory; “We have brilliant boat builders in South Africa – we need to develop ocean robotics solutions ourselves.”
Dr Sarah Nicholson is a Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory (SOCCO), CSIR. Her research interests are on the intersection between the atmosphere, the ocean and biogeochemistry. More specifically, on understanding the processes that drive exchanges of heat and carbon into and out of the ocean and how this may change in the future. She is motivated to address these complex climate problems through innovation. Dr Nicholson uses various technologies ranging from state-of-the-art autonomous robotic observing platforms to physical-biogeochemical numerical models to address her research. Since the beginning of 2022, Dr Sarah Nicholson has been responsible for management of the South African Robotics and Ocean Technology Innovation Centre (SA-RobOTIC).
Speakers on the Day:
- Ms Thuthukile Mthethwa, Portfolio Manager: Energy Technology Innovation Agency
- Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, Port Of Durban Port Manager
- Simone Smith-Godfrey, Research Associate at SAIMI
- Advocate Phyllis Motšatši Difeto, Chairperson of Women in the Maritime Sector in Eastern and Southern Africa, SA Chapter
- Prof. Noluxolo Gcaza, Professor, Nelson Mandela University Cyber Security Postgraduate Course
- Advocate Amsha Gengan, Advocate in Johannesburg at the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa
- Dr Sarah Nicholson, Senior Research at the Southern Ocean Carbon-Climate Observatory
- Prof. Momoko Kitada, Professor, World Maritime University (Sweden)
- Nomkhitha Mbele, Regional Director at Fendercare Marine
- Nondumiso Mfenyana, Project Coordinator – SAIMI
- Soraya Artman, Acting Director of Operations at SAIMI
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- South African Conquers Rats on the World Stage - 30 October 2026
- Old JPG on a Memory Stick? Vectorization Studio in Observatory Redraws Faded and Low-Resolution Logos by Hand - 30 October 2026
- ReAutomated Adds Robot Palletising and Case Packing Cells to Existing South African Packing Lines Without Stripping Out the Conveyors - 30 October 2026
- From a 5 KM Sprint to an Ultra: Punisher Sets Out Its Magaliesberg Obstacle Race Formats for First Timers, Teams and Fitness Clubs - 30 October 2026
- Rotary or Dual Action? Germiston’s Polisher Lists Its Machines, Buffs and Compounds for Car Paint and Metal Finishing - 30 October 2026
