STC South Africa, in collaboration with VSTEP, is launching a maritime simulation training center in Cape Town in the first quarter of 2024. VSTEP takes great pride in providing STC South Africa with their state-of-the-art simulator, NAUTIS, to assist in provision of cost-effective training solutions across the African continent.

Background Story
STC SA is proud to partner up with VSTEP to enable learning by simulation on a larger scale in South Africa and the region. South Africa, for many years has lacked the ability to provide high quality simulation training which is essential to the education and development of seafarers. This partnership will also enable continued proficiency training for the upskilling of existing seafarers such as Bridge Resource Management, Marine Pilot and Tug Master training programs.

Additionally, if the South African Maritime Authority adopts a Resolution to accept simulator time in lieu of sea service for Cadets undergoing their onboard training towards their Certificate of Competence as an Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, then the addition of this simulator into the region will add tremendous value to all those Cadets, struggling to find ships complete their onboard training.

“I am happy to announce the new partnership between VSTEP and STC SA. This is the first cooperation abroad between the two companies. The partnership between VSTEP and STC-SA will enable the simulation footprint of STC to extend to Cape Town, South Africa which will see the installation of a Class A 240° Full Mission Ship Handling simulator in 2024.

STC Group has always focused heavily on the inclusion of simulation in as many programs as possible and as a result, invested heavily in procuring a range of state-of-the-art simulators worldwide and now leading to this partnership. The addition of such a simulator will add tremendous value to the maritime sector in the region. VSTEP and STC-SA are congratulated on their partnership and are wished the best of luck in ensuring the provision of world class simulation training.“

– Albert Bos, Director of STC Group

STC-SA in partnership with VSTEP are committed to meeting your bespoke training needs. This would include the development and inclusion of the simulator database of your particular port or area of operation, as well as the development and inclusion within our database of particular types of vessels that operate in your area.

Additionally, the simulator will serve as a perfect platform to conduct research for new port developments within Africa and beyond, as well as conduct training for new Pilots and Tug Masters as well as their continued proficiency training.

Please reach out to Patrick Wells at [email protected] for general enquiries or booking information and Tije Vos at [email protected] for technical enquiries or sales.

VSTEP is dedicated to innovating new business models that enable learning for everyone interested and broaden the scope of training within the market. To realize this vision, VSTEP has striven to minimize capital investments and increase the accessibility of simulators through a range of business models that the company can offer. At the heart of VSTEP’s collaboration with STC South Africa lies the joint venture model, which embodies the central theme of making training inclusive and available to everyone.

This groundbreaking project empowers STC SA by equipping them with VSTEP’s cutting-edge NAUTIS simulators. Through this collaboration, STC SA can offer their clients the advantages of hands-on practical experience, customized training programs tailored to specific needs and access to expert instruction and support, all facilitated by the advanced simulation technology provided by VSTEP’s NAUTIS simulators.

This partnership ensures that STC SA can deliver the highest quality maritime training, preparing their clients for real-world scenarios and enhancing their skills and knowledge in maritime operations.

“At VSTEP, we enable learning by simulation. Our dedication to this cause hinges on the pivotal concept of accessibility in our simulation technology. Our partnership with STC-SA marks an important milestone on our journey towards this mission. This collaboration represents just the opening chapter of what promises to be a transformative narrative for VSTEP, and we want the maritime industry to know that this is only the beginning, not the end. We ardently believe that simulation stands at the forefront of immersive and invaluable learning experiences. Thus, our unwavering commitment drives us to forge new partnerships, making maritime simulation not just a possibility, but a profound reality for maritime professionals – for students and seasoned professionals. VSTEP is the most dedicated simulation partner for the maritime industry, and I am proud that we made this step with the STC-SA team.“

– Fabian van den Berg, CEO of VSTEP Simulation
Source: VSTEP