Andrew Thomas
CEO, Ocean Africa Container Lines
SA Branch Committee Portfolio : President
Branch Committee
Capt. Richard Brook-Hart (FICS)
MNI, Master Mariner
SA Branch Committee Portfolio: Chairman
Sub Committees: Finance & Admin; Human Resources
Richard is a tutor for Shipping Business and is also active in promoting ICS to the industry wherever possible. Richard spent 12 years with P&O, before becoming a harbour pilot in East Africa for eight years. After ‘swallowing the anchor’, he worked for various firms before setting up Alpha Shipping Agency, who specialize in ships agency and broking. Richard is married with three children, and keeps fit by sailing, jogging and the occasional hike in the Drakensberg mountains.
Rob Gardner (FICS)
MBA International ManagementSA Branch Committee Portfolio: Vice Chairman
Sub Committees: Human Resources; Education & Bursaries
Rob is a qualified tutor for Understanding Shipping and Economics of Sea Transport and International Trade. Rob served as the National President of the agency association, and is a member of the IBIA South Africa Committee.
Dieudonne Nyandu Kabongo (MICS)
SA Branch Committee Portfolio : Treasurer
Sub Committee Finance and Administration
Dieudonne obtained his honors degree in Development Studies in Kinshasa in 1997 and then completed the ICS PQE in 2008. He received membership in the same year. He has more than 10 years experience in liner shipping with DELMAS and CMA CGM, in Traffic Administration, Disbursement Accounts Control and Carrier’s Accounts Audit.
Senzo Nxmualo (MICS)
SA Branch Committee Portfolio: Education Officer
Sub Committee: Education & Bursaries
Senzo matriculated from New Forest High School with an Understanding Shipping Certificate and then achieved his ICS Foundation Diploma before continuing with the full PQE exams and thus becoming a member of ICS. He is the Commercial & Operations director at Linsen Nambi Pty (Ltd). He is also the head Maritime Economics Educator at New Forest High School and in his spare time he enjoys listening and creating music, movies and playing basketball.
Tony Norton (FICS)
Sub Committee: BVC, Ethics & Discipline
Tony is a director at ENS (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs), and has 22 years of experience as a shipping and logistics attorney specialising in maritime law. He has been a member of the Maritime Law Association of South Africa for 22 years, two as president. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and has been Chairman of the South African Branch. He has been chairperson of the National Port Users Forum, an association of trade associations in the broader shipping industry. He has also lectured and spoken on Maritime Law and Commodity Trading matters at various seminars and forums. He is married to Lynn and enjoys outings with his family as well as reading, relaxing and partying.
Gerard Loubser (MICS)
Sub Committee: Marketing
Gerard joined the Grindrod Group in 1993 and currently holds the position of Operations Manager at Mitchell Cotts Maritime based in Durban. He also tutors Understanding Shipping.
Lance Schneider (MICS)
Sub Committee: Education & Bursaries
Lance matriculated at New Forest High School where he completed their maritime course as well as Understanding Shipping. He obtained membership in 2009 and he is currently studying full time at UKZN. Lance’s special skill is cooking crayfish!!
Dean Fraser (FICS)
Sub Committee : Marketing
Dean began his shipping career some 21 years ago in the Port of Richards Bay and has subsequently also worked in the ports of Cape Town and Durban. He has been with Panargo Shipping (Pty) Ltd for the last 10 years and after starting out with the company as an Operations Manager and then moving on to become Richards Bay Branch Manager, now resides in Durban and has taken up the position of Marketing Executive.In 2006 he became a member of the Institute and was inducted as a Fellow in 2009. Currently he sits on the National Executive of SAASOA and is a member of the Durban BBOF working group.Having been a crew member with the NSRI in Richards Bay he is currently a shore crew member in Durban. Dean is a keen ocean water sports-man, surfs, wind surfs, scuba dive's and enjoys spending time with his wife and two children on the sunny beaches of KZN.
Malte Kersten (MICS)
Malte was born and raised in Germany and has started his career in shipping with DAL Deutsche Afrika-Linien in Hamburg some 25 years ago. He has worked in all fields of shipping, from water clerk to finance, from sales to operations. Since 2005 he is back in Africa for the second time in his life and still working for DAL. He lectured ‘Economics of Sea Transport & International Trade’ for the German Chapter of the ICS and was also appointed by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce to chair an examination board for shipping students.
Bianca Knight (FICS)
Bianca is Shipping Manager at Olam with responsibility for chartering in tonnage and overseeing the vessel operations and finance teams. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and has worked for various firms in ship operations, finance and ship's agency in her 15 years in the industry. Bianca has extensive experience with shipping software systems having been involved in a number of implementation projects at the various firms she has worked for. She enjoys travelling, whether on business or holiday, and reading.
Chapters
Joan Murphy (MICS) - Johannesburg Chapter
SA Branch Committee Portfolio: Johannesburg Chapter Head
Sub Committee: BVC, Ethics & Discipline
Joan accepted a position as Girl Friday with the Johannesburg branch of MUR Shipping RSA in 1996. Having been given the opportunity to “learn a little about shipping”, the management of MUR enrolled her with the ICS SA Branch for the Qualifying Exams. Joan received her MICS in 2000 and moved from Personal Assistant to the MD to the post fixtures department of MUR and shortly thereafter to the Operations Department. Joan is an avid dancer and she and her partner are the reigning SA Champions in Latin-American in their category; Joan is also a keen horserider, keeps fit in the gym, and loves hiking, fly fishing, reading & birding.
Barry Higham (MICS) – Cape Town Chapter
SA Branch Committee Portfolio: Cape Town Chapter Head
Barry has been in shipping for some thirty odd years, from chartering to trade management (commercial and operations), sales and marketing to agency, and consulting as well as owner's representation, He is MD of a line and ship management. Hobbies and interests include sailing and boating, game and fly fishing, swimming and snorkeling as well as music which includes guitar playing.
Amanda Harrison (MICS) - Richards Bay Chapter
SA Branch Committee Portfolio: Richards Bay Chapter Head
Amanda has spent the last 15 years involved in the maritime industry. Having worked her way through the ranks within the Ships Agency business, Amanda is now actively involved in the day to day operations at D and A Shipping Richards Bay, where she has spent the last 5 years. She completed ICS Qualifying exams in 2009. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys walking, mountain biking & spending time with her family.
Mahendra (Bobby) RAMPHUL (FICS) - Mauritius Chapter
MBA ( Maritime Management) – Australian Maritime College.
Bobby has more than 20 years experience in the commercial shipping environment and is currently the Operations Manager of the Mauritius Shipping Corporation Ltd (MSCL) based in Port Louis, Mauritius.
