Shipping Agent

NQF05, 10 months, full-time, 8 months part-time | Credits 240 (SAQA I.D: 110934)

Course Overview

The role of a shipping agent is vital to ensure that vessels are expedited through our ports, by liaising with the various service suppliers and authorities for scheduling and delivery of goods and services to the vessel.

The Shipping Agent liaises and processes transactions of a ship or cargo on behalf of the ship owners, ship managers and ship charterers.
On-the-job experience can progressively lead to positions of more responsibility.

The qualified learner will be able to:

• Prepare the disbursement account.
• Advise all authorities of the ship's arrival.
• Keep cargo interests updated.
• Arrange husbandry matters (doctors, dentists, arriving/departing crew, technical services).
• Arrange for the ship to berth.
• Tender notice of readiness.
• Keep a statement of facts.
• Update all stakeholders daily on progress.
• Coordinate the bunkers.
• Arrange surveyors.
• Authorize signing bills of lading.
• Keep a record of the port call expenses.
• Arrange for the sailing of the ship.

• Send final disbursement account to owners.

• Send sailing documentation to owners, charterers, and next port of call.

Admission requirements:
• A prior NQF Level 4 qualification
• Current employment within the transport or allied industries