Nozipho Mdawe, Transnet National Ports Authority acting Chief Executive, is the Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) keynote speaker on Wednesday 10 July. She will share insights into the potential role for deep offshore ports as part of South Africa’s greener developmental future.
SATC is an annual four-day conference and exhibition at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria, this year from Monday, 8 July.
Mdawe believes a new growth paradigm is needed in South Africa, one which will promote economic development and promote climatic and environmental sustainability.
“Economic activities and environmental protection are conventionally perceived as two separate domains adversely affecting each other,” says Mdawe. “Green growth calls for a conceptual shift to recognize that both can and must be achieved in unison.”
“The increasing focus on sustainable solutions, the growing size of container vessels, and increasing growth of world trade, has brought about significant challenges for ships, ports and society at large,” she adds. Expectations for future growth, therefore, need to be matched by the physical reality of supporting transport infrastructure. This is easier said than done, notes Mdawe, given that limited space for expansion is forcing South African ports to come up with new and innovative development solutions.
Join SATC delegates at the CSIR on Wednesday, 10 July to hear what environmentally sustainable economic development could look like, from the perspective of ports, shipping, and maritime trade.