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ETHEKWINI MARITIME CLUSTER
www.maritimecluster.co.za
A CHAMPION FOR THE MARITIME Development initiatives, by identifying projects and
business opportunities that can benefit small businesses,
INDUSTRY which include youth and women businesses, assisting
EThekwini Maritime Cluster (EMC) is a non-profit the transformation agenda in the maritime industry.
company with the mandate to support and promote In 2015 EMC established the incubator and business
the maritime industry within Durban although at times accelerator programmes to assist small businesses
it has a reach to other areas of KwaZulu-Natal. EMC to enter the maritime industry. Candidates on these
champions and advocates for the maritime industry projects are receiving training and mentoring to develop
through bridging the gap between industrial policy from their business skills and ensure sound enterprise
government and the private sector, thereby unleashing practises. The project Entrepreneur Me, was initiated
the economic growth in the maritime industry. which addresses the needs of unemployed graduates.
Unemployed engineering graduates have since set up
Since its inception EMC has continued to respond to
international best practice within clustering models their own enterprises and EMC is assisting with their
within the maritime industry and has created sub clusters incubation as well as market access.
along the value chain. The concept of clustering is widely 2. INDUSTRY PROMOTION
used across the world to unleash economic growth that This programme is positioning Durban as a Smart Port
assists in job creation and enterprise development. City, which will optimise the port-city territories and
The objectives of EMC are to: the constant cargo flows passing through Durban.
� Spearhead economic transformation through Further to this EMC hosts workshops, conferences, and
maritime enterprise development initiatives events to provide networking opportunities to facilitate
� Promote the maritime industry locally, nationally knowledge and port information sharing through
and globally collaborative engagements.
� Contribute to an inclusive maritime training and EMC, in partnership with eThekwini Municipality,
skills development that will afford equal opportunity Transnet and Maritime Industry, successfully executed
to all the 2nd Annual Maritime Summit in 2017. Top on the
� Facilitate marine manufacturing by promoting local agenda was connecting ports, ships and communities to
shipbuilding, ship repair and boat building to improve efficiencies for the benefit of the economy and
increase employment and economic growth the residents of Durban.
� Contribute towards the promotion of marine and
coastal tourism 3. TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
� Promote research capacity in the above The Training & Skills Development programme facilitates
programmes for the maritime sector capacity building within the sector by providing the
necessary intervention to position Durban as a Centre
PROGRAMMES OF THE ETHEKWINI MARITIME of Maritime Education. This will contribute to inclusive
CLUSTER
Maritime Training and Skills that will afford equal
EMC has four programmes but is currently looking at opportunity that will unleash and improve the capacity
incorporating Marine and Coastal Tourism as the fifth building.
programme and they are:
A key deliverable of this programme is to develop the
1. ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT City as a centre of excellence in maritime education. We
This programme is positioned to spearhead economic have set projects to achieve this by assisting at High
transformation in the maritime sector through Enterprise School Level as well as working with Tertiary Institutions
in KwaZulu Natal to position and market the offering
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