Author Archives: Seatrain

Seafarer Certificate Extensions – All you need to know

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SAMSA has provided details on the process to be followed to extend the validity of certificates issued in accordance with the Merchant shipping (Safe Manning, Training and Certification) Regulations 2013, as amended. 

Certificates of Competency (COC) and/or Certificates of Proficiency (COP) issued in accordance with the International Convention of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW Convention or the Convention) are generally valid for a period of five (5) years from the date of issue.

SAMSA, having considered the predicament many seafarers and their employers are finding themselves in, has granted an extension until 30 September 2020 to any certificate that may expire during the national lockdown and/or shortly thereafter.

Applications to extend the validity of certificates need to be made electronically.   The opportunity to extend the validity of certificates is open to:

  • Employers who find themselves with seafarers onboard their ships whose certificates are due to expire while on an extended tour of duty, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • South African registered ships who have seafarers holding certificates that will be expiring soon and are being affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Application for Extension of the Certificate

Please read the Marine Notice 19 issued by SAMSA (link below) and download the application from from the following link – http://www.samsa.org.za/Pages/Application-for-the-extension-of-Certificate.aspx

Should you experience any difficulties applying online,  please email the nearest SAMSA office. Email details are available on the SAMSA’s website http://www.samsa.org.za/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx

Please include both a copy of the CoC/CoP and the online form.

A copy of the SAMSA Marine Notice 19 is available below and includes additional details on non-essential services as well as the validity of medical certificates.

MN 19 of 2020 -COVID-19 Process for extension of Seafarer Certification

SEATRAIN – IN GOOD COMPANY AT AOW 2019

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Seatrain may be a small company but there’s nothing small about our training ambitions, nor our determination to assist companies in the African oil and gas sector with seafarer training management and administration.

So, when an opportunity presented itself to market Seatrain and its services on a bigger stage, we were determined to make the most of it!

Thanks to the support of the Western Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT), we successfully secured the official sponsorship for the 2019 Africa Oil Week (AOW) Student Programme – and the event proved to be the ideal platform for not only communicating our commitment to skills development in the African oil and gas sector, but to network with industry movers and shakers.

For almost three decades, AOW has been at the vanguard of African oil, gas and energy and is widely considered as Africa’s leading oil and gas conference.

In 2019, 789 organisations and 1854 delegates attended AOW 2019, among them a number of big names representing the supermajors, geophysical companies, universities, oilfield service providers, independent oil companies and national oil companies, amongst others.

Seatrain was in good company and immensely proud to see our logo featured alongside industry leaders on, amongst others, the official event brochure and sponsors board.

Ours is a company that has punched above its weight right from the start, and the AOW 2019 Student Programme sponsorship gave us the opportunity to communicate reach an important audience!

Going forward, we are determined to make the most of the brand exposure and business leads gained from the 2019 AOW event.

We were also, particularly proud and honoured, to have sponsored a platform that introduces the next generation in oil and gas to the industry – and the industry to the human resource talent of the future.

Our thanks to AOW organisers, Hyve Events and the Western Cape Government for providing this opportunity to grow our business and our brand.

Click here for a review of the 2019 AOW event and here for an interview with Seatrain CEO, Mr Pieter Coetzer, on why we decided to sponsor the Student programme.   You can also download the full AOW event report here

COVID 19 – Impact on Seatrain – Updates

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17 April 2020

REOPENING OF SEATRAIN OFFICES

We are hoping to reopen our offices in Simon’s Town on Monday, 4 May 2020.   The reopening is, however, subject to Government decisions regarding the national lockdown (which was implemented to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and is due to finish at the end of April 2020).

Until such time as further clarity is available from Government on the lifting of the lockdown, our staff will continue to work from home.

We remain operational and ready to serve you, so please do stay in contact!

All queries regarding our courses must please be emailed to us on admin@seatrain.co.za (and not via Facebook Messenger).

Be sure to LIKE this Facebook page to stay up-to-date with the latest news and developments.

Stay healthy – and see you soon!

The Seatrain Team

20 March 2020

CLOSURE OF SEATRAIN OFFICES – COVID-19

Dear Clients, Students and Friends of Seatrain,

South Africa and Seatrain, like the rest of the world, will not be unaffected by the COVID-19 disruption.

The South African Government and SAMSA have put measures in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus – see SAMSA Marine Notices 13, 14 & 15 of 2020 – and all Maritime Training Centres have shut down operations until after the Easter Holidays.

At this stage, indications are that most training centres plan to resume operations as from 15 April. Nobody knows exactly what will happen over the coming months, so it is possible that operation may only resume in May, or possibly even later.

We apologise to our clients and students for any inconvenience caused but the matter is completely out of our control.

A few of our programmes will continue to be offered via distance-learning, but only where it is practical to do so and where the necessary regulatory approval has been obtained.

We must all do whatever we can to remain calm and prevent the spread of the virus.

We urge you to follow the prescribed practices of social distancing, isolation, personal hygiene and travel restrictions.

The Seatrain team will be working remotely and will be available on email and cell-phones, as required.

We are hopeful that the situation will stabilise in due course, and that our industry will return to normality once again.

Please know that we greatly value our partnerships and look forward to dealing with you once again in the near future.

Stay well and remember to keep a safe distance.

The Seatrain Team
Emergencies: +27 63 577 1971
20 March 2020