Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is celebrating 20 years of investment in maritime education, a milestone marked with Port Open Days to further spark maritime interests among Grade 9 and 10 learners across coastal communities.
World Maritime Day is celebrated globally on the last Thursday of September and, in South African ports this year, more than 1 000 learners from various township schools are receiving exposure to maritime education and careers. Aligned to the 2025 theme “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,” the Port Open Days are designed to steer pupils towards maritime opportunities by taking up maritime subjects such as Maritime Economics, Nautical Science and Maritime Science. These subjects are considered critical to support global commerce, oceans economy advancement and ensuring a sustainable future for the global shipping industry.
This initiative reflects TNPA’s intentionality in creating shared value by building a pipeline of future mariners through the creation of maritime career paths and enhancement of maritime education.
TNPA’s partnership with Lawhill Maritime Centre dates back to 2005. Over the last two decades, this flagship investment has benefitted 140 learners by covering tuition, boarding and extracurricular activities. Fourteen of these beneficiaries are now employed by TNPA as trained Tug Masters, while others are working in diverse sectors across the country. The 2025 Lawhill intake boasts 15 TNPA bursars coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
TNPA is committed to nurturing young minds, promoting educational excellence and influencing the introduction of maritime subjects in the curriculum of township high schools. To date, a total of 25 schools across the port cities are benefiting from this drive. The Eastern Cape boasts seven high schools – five in Gqeberha and two in East London – while KwaZulu-Natal has 17 schools, with five located in Richards Bay and 12 in Durban.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, TNPA is dedicated to making meaningful investments in the communities we operate, with the primary objective of contributing to sustainable socio-economic development. One such sustainable initiative is exactly these Port Open Days, nurturing young minds today to sustain marine resources in the future,” said Phyllis Difeto, Acting TNPA Chief Executive.
