The maritime industry is in the throes of a crewing crisis, and the latest report from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the World Maritime University has thrown a lifeline in the form of an underutilised recruitment pool: Africa. The report, part of the Global Maritime Trends 2050 series, argues that Africa’s young and talented demographic could be the key to solving the industry’s employment woes, which have been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.
Olivia Swift, head of maritime at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, doesn’t mince words. She sees the potential of Africa as “lower-hanging fruit” compared to the uphill battle of increasing the number of female seafarers globally. “There’s a real complacency on the industry’s part,” she asserts. “If we don’t actually ask where are we at the moment, and what are the barriers, then it’s a pipe dream.”
The report pulls no punches in highlighting the systemic issues that prevent women from enrolling in maritime training courses. The false belief that women are less suited to maritime roles than men is a persistent barrier, and increasing African representation will require concerted action. But Swift is clear: “There’s no reason for maritime to feel that it’s not able to make a difference” when it comes to getting more African girls into STEM subjects.
Education is a key facet of this problem, but Swift was shocked by the lack of data on enrolment in African maritime university courses. The dropout rates are alarming. Bandari Maritime Academy in Kenya has a graduation rate of 55% over the past 10 years, while Durban University of Technology in South Africa has an annual graduation rate of 22%. The clear finding? A lack of sea time puts paid to many seafaring careers before they even start.
The report underscores the lack of roles within domestic shipping in African countries, forcing trainees to rely on international companies for jobs and practical training. Swift mentions initiatives already providing placements for African trainees, but stresses that the industry could do more. Facilitating sea time is a fairly easy barrier to overcome, she says, and could be addressed immediately. “If shipping companies were to focus on just one solution, it should be providing a small number of cadetships which ‘would then snowball’.”
Another major barrier is the lack of recognition of many African countries from the European Maritime Safety Agency’s minimum training standards for seafarers. Recognition by both EMSA and the International Maritime Organization White List is crucial for a country’s maritime sector, as it means seafarers’ certificates are accepted worldwide, particularly in the EU market. Swift sees this as a relatively quick fix compared to the structural changes needed to increase enrolment, particularly of women, onto maritime courses.
So, why should shipping companies commit resources and time to what could be a lengthy project? Swift argues it’s not as daunting as it seems. “It’s a small initiative to partner with a training institution. You can start off small, pick your geography, test it out and see if it works for you. Commit to a small number of seafarers for a short period of time. It’s minimal investment.”
The maritime industry is at a crossroads. The crewing crisis is a wake-up call, and Africa presents a viable solution. But it will take more than just recognition of the problem. It will take action, imagination, and a willingness to invest in the future. As Swift puts it, “Any company that’s serious about operating in decades to come needs to be acting now, because it takes time to grow that new pipeline.” The question is, will the industry rise to the challenge?
