About SST and securing the future of Africa’s seas
Our vision
A future where the people of Africa and her seas flourish together.
Our mission
We’re working towards uplifting and sustaining our fellow African communities by fostering and providing solutions that will enable the blue economy. Through education, research and targeted action, as well as partnerships, let’s curb the risk of marine pollution through integrating waste management principles into value chains. To realise the goal of a sustainable blue economy for Africa, we first need to start on land.
Our values
Credible, Observant, and Analytical
01
We pay close attention to the world and are a peer-reviewed, science-based organisation. Deeply researched and well-documented knowledge is the foundation of moving towards a sustainable future.
Enabling
02
Working together through collaboration, cooperation, and a sense of community creates the most lasting impact. We’re committed to enabling and uplifting individuals along their journey.
Impact-Driven
03
Excellence is in everything we do. We take action and hold ourselves accountable to ensure we make a meaningful and positive impact through passion and high-functioning properties.
We are aligned with, and aim to achieve, six of the UN’s Sustainability Goals
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive, equitable, quality primary and secondary education for relevant and effective learning outcomes.
Goal 8
Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Goal 11
Working towards sustainable cities and communities.
Goal 12
Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 14
To conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
Goal 17
Partnering for the sustainable development of these goals.
A history of integrity
A fish over 410 million years old has a lot to do with building a sustainable future. SST was founded in 2006 and born out of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP), led by SST’s Founding Trustee and first CEO, Dr Tony Ribbink.
He was part of the original research team that confirmed the existence of a coelacanth population in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. The coelacanth was part of SST’s original logo but has since evolved as the challenge of ocean sustainability has become more inclusive of all of Africa’s people.
The ACEP was initiated to conserve natural resources in the Western Indian Ocean where the coelacanth has been found. These countries include the Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Tanzania, and to this day, SST still has strong partnerships with its Western Indian Ocean neighbours.
While originally founded on the values set by the ACEP, SST has expanded into a network across Africa as a long-term education- and research-focussed trust aimed at ensuring marine sustainability and alleviating the poverty of coastal communities through education and skills development.
Our accountability
We are registered and administered by CA Trust Company and operate exclusively for charitable, scientific, educational,
socio-economic, and philanthropic purposes. Our funding comes primarily from governments, the corporate sector, multi-lateral donors, and public donations. It’s critical that we take accountability – from the transparent use of the funds and providing evidence of our expenditures, to delivering on the projects we design and assisting our beneficiaries in finding solutions to the problems that they are facing, to clearly reporting on our activities and actions.
Work with us
Our vision is made possible with a team of highly passionate and talented professionals and community members, committed to better understanding local customs, and including indigenous knowledge in the design of our context-appropriate interventions.
SST aspires to be a good and fair employer with transparent internal governance structures, policies, and procedures. Our aim is to draw in and retain high-level talent, while remaining attractive and accountable to funding partners due to sound financial controls, and create an enabling environment for the organisation to achieve its long-term conservation objectives.
If you are driven to see impactful change happen right across Africa,
we want to work with you.
Reach out and let’s enable the blue economy together.
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