About Us

OPLASA members work through all shipping agents in South Africa to ensure optimum services to international shipping lines. Be sure to ask your agent for an OPLASA member to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of your crew and ship supplies.

About Us

Discussions in 2023 amongst Off Port Limits (OPL) operators in South Africa highlighted the dire need for cooperation to preserve as well as promote the OPL sector in the country. Structural changes at governmental level emphasised the need to establish a unified voice for the sector that could provide input on the status, requirements, operations and workings of the OPL sector to assist the shaping of legislated requirements or new regulations.

The Off Port Limits Association of South Africa (OPLASA) was formally constituted at the beginning of 2024 with four founding members:

BOSSS Marine
Malgas Marine
Offshore Maritime Services
Servest Marine

With some 50,000 vessels passing the coastline of South Africa per annum, the opportunity to service this traffic remains largely untapped, but negative influences from government as well as operators stand to diminish this opportunity.

It should be our common goal, as existing members of the sector, to collaborate with other industry stakeholders, associations, and government agencies to unlock this opportunity for the future growth of South Africa’s oceans economy to help alleviate poverty and unemployment in the country.

Objectives

The association has a number of objectives:

To promote the OPL sector and market South Africa as an OPL destination for international shipping.
To promote the interests of the Association.
To establish a code of conduct for OPL operators in South Africa.
To advocate for continuous improvement in services and operating standards for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.
To advocate for the importance of the OPL sector to the growth of South Africa’s ocean economy within government departments and committees.
To champion safe, optimum and cost-effective OPL services from South African ports by working with maritime authorities and government institutions to develop a suitable minimum standard of operation across the sector.
To ensure that SA OPL is recognised as world leader in OPL services.
To foster knowledge sharing amongst membership to promote the continuous development of skills, safety and efficiency within the OPL sector.

OPL in South Africa

Situated on a major shipping route, South Africa has developed a mature Off Ports Limits (OPL) sector with operators that are able to service passing ships from most of the commercial ports.

Our members operate a variety of launches of with varying capacities to meet the demands of the smallest or largest load.

Prioritising safety is a key objective of OPLASA and its members who maintain appropriate vessels and employ only highly skilled South African crew to operate in the challenging waters and conditions along the South African coast.

SERVICES OFFERED BY OUR MEMBERS:

Crew changes
Waste removal
Fresh water supplies
Critical supplies
Medvac services
Spare parts
Delivery of technical support personnel/ride-on crew

Founding Board Members

CHAIR

Andrew Hendrikse

Over the last 30 years, Andrew Hendrikse has held a number of leadership positions within the maritime industry including ten within the OPL sector. He is currently the Managing Director of Servest Marine where he oversees the company's OPL and transport services.

VICE CHAIR

Godfrey Needham

With an illustrious career in the maritime sector that includes gaining sea time in the merchant navy as well as working within the towage and salvage sectors, Godfrey Needham, launched Offshore Maritime Services some 25 years ago.

TREASURER

Andrew Howell

Having initiated his maritime career as a skipper for a company involved in OPL supplies, salvage, towage and offshore survey work some 30 years ago, Andrew Howell joined Bosss Marine in 2013 and is now the Divisional Manager.

SECRETARY

Colleen Jacka

Colleen Jacka is the founding editor of Maritime Review Africa and has been reporting on the maritime industries in South Africa for over two decades. She will also assist with the marketing and promotion function of OPLASA.

Become A Member

Membership is open to all companies offering OPL services from one or more ports in South Africa.

MORE INFORMATION