SAMSA

SAMSA, the South African Maritime Safety Authority, is South Africa’s national maritime administration, established by the South African Maritime Safety Authority Act 5 of 1998 and operational from 1998. Headquartered in Pretoria with regional offices in the major ports, it carries out flag-state and port-state functions: ship survey and certification, seafarer certification under STCW, casualty investigation, search-and-rescue coordination through MRCC Cape Town, and implementation of IMO conventions for South Africa. It replaced the former South African Department of Transport directorate as the dedicated safety authority.