History was made at the Port of Port Elizabeth on Tuesday with the first-time docking of a ship registered to the PE Harbour.
The cargo ship, Windsor Adventure, is the third ship to be registered in the Port of Port Elizabeth but the first to berth at the port as the two other Eastern Cape registered vessels are too big.
Acting CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority, Sobantu Tilayi, says they chose Nelson Mandela Bay as the home for the Windsor Adventure to help revive the Metro and Eastern Cape's maritime economy. "The ship will carry our national flag, which is an issue of pride and will assist us with marketing our country."
Tyali said there was a dire need for locally registered cargo ships as the country paid approximately R46 billion in freight costs to foreign shipping companies as recently as 2014.
Eastern Cape Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana, who delivered the keynote address at the welcoming of the ship, committed to assisting state-owned entities and the private sector in developing the country's ocean economy.
Tikana said the collaboration would help with job creation. "The government has signed the Comprehensive Maritime Transport policy which among other things is aimed at creating an environment conducive for increasing the number of vessels under the South African flag, attracting investment and encouraging the creation of meaningful jobs in the sector," she said.
