​MRCC Role and Function

The MRCC is fully functional and operates 24/7 with the focus primarily of the safety of life at sea and complies with the requirements of the Department of Transport’s (DoT) South African Search and Rescue (SASAR) Act. 

This entails interaction with the various government and non-government entities involved with maritime rescue at sea.

The MRCC performs administrative and operational duties.  Administrative duties are concerned with maintaining the MRCC in a continuous state of preparedness.

Operational duties are concerned with the efficient conduct of SAR operations or exercises.

The MRCC performs the following functions:

• Monitors and evaluates Maritime Safety Information (MSI)
• Manages the South African Ship Reporting System (SAFREP)
• Executes a Maritime Assistance Service (MAS)
• Manage the reception and dissemination of Maritime Security information 
• ISPS code
• Acts as the SA Navigational Communications Search and Rescue (NCSR) agency (IMO)  and the COSPAS SARSAT agency (ICAO)
• Acts as the custodian for SA NCSR beacon registration database and
• Promote International SAR standards in terms of the South African Maritime and Aeronautical SAR Act by;
• Implementing the requirements of bilateral SAR agreements and
• Providing a National and Regional maritime SAR co-ordinators training capability

Regional MRCC

As per resolutions of the IMO Florence convention of 2000, the African continent was split into regions in order to better manage SAR around Africa.  The countries of Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Liberia and Kenya were approached to host Regional Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (RMRCC). All have accepted and in January 2007 MRCC Cape Town was inaugurated as the RMRCC for the Southern African region countries of Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Madagascar and the Comoros

(Regional SAR Maritime Region)