​​The Navigation section is to ensure the safety of navigation in South African waters through enhancing our MDA and regulation to ensure compliance with international conventions and agreements.

It covers the regulation of Aids to Navigation (AtoN) coastal and inland waterways, including Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), terrestrial and satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS), eNavigation (eNAV), Long range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) and oversight of Hydrography.

Aids to Navigation (AtoN)

The Aids to Navigation section contributes towards SAMSA and South Africa meeting its obligations in terms of ensuring safety of life and property at sea through the standardisation, harmonisation and compliance of all Aids to Navigation (AtoN), both at sea and on navigable inland waterways of South Africa, by:

• Ensuring that as it deems practical and necessary, for appropriate AtoN to be provided as the volume of traffic and the degree of risks requires
• Ensuring all AtoN, fixed and floating, meeting the requirements of present and changing needs of all mariners
• Obtaining uniformity of all AtoN by taking into account appropriate international directives, requirements, recommendations and guidelines
• Ensuring all AtoN meet acceptable standards
• Providing technical consultancy and advice on AtoN
• Authorising the:

(a) Erection or placing of any fixed, floating and electronic AtoN, mark or beacon
(b) Removal or discontinuation of any fixed, floating and electronic AtoN, mark or beacon
(c) Altering an AtoN (colour, character, height, range, etc.), or the mode of exhibiting lights of any fixed, floating and electronic AtoN, mark or beacon in any lighthouse, buoy or beacon.

Any request to deploy, alter or remove AtoN, or any other communiqué regarding AtoN can be sent to below;