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Singaporean offshore operator RKOffShore has linked with Cape Town’s marine crewing specialist company, Marine Crew Services (MCS) to develop the talent.

Says Jaco Rabie, general manager of RKOffShore in Singapore: “South Africa is definitely well placed to become one of our most important sources of suitably qualified staff for deployment in our growing fleet of offshore supply vessels.”

RKOffShore operates 16 vessels in the oil exploration business off West Africa, in South East Asia and off Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, and expects to increase that to 30 by the middle of next year.

“We see the South African supply pool as being particularly important for our vessels operating off Africa. South Africans understand African conditions better, and can also supply the staff requirements of these vessels more easily from Cape Town because of its location,” he adds.

Signs of an economic upturn are seen in the most unlikely places – and wool must be one of the unlikeliest.

It’s a product that could see developing business for South Africa, at the expense of Australia, the world’s second-largest producer of wool for clothes.

The selling season began in mid-August in South Africa, with encouraging prices for 13,000 bales going under the hammer at Port Elizabeth.

Australian production for 2009/10 is expected to be down to 33m tonnes; its lowest level for 80 years – but worldwide demand is up, especially in China, not only the largest consumer on the planet, but also South Africa’s largest export market.