Our governance structure consists of Non-Executive Directors (independent and appointed), Executive Directors, a volunteer Company Secretary and Honorary Life Governors. Honorary Life Governors are individuals who have made an exceptional and outstanding contribution to the NSRI over a number of years.
We strive to achieve transparency, accountability, integrity and ethical leadership as well as provide practical guidance regarding the sustainable development of the NSRI and all its activities.
Johnny is a Mining Engineer, and he has a broad and varied experience in the mining industry. He has worked for several well-known companies, including De Beers, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP Billiton and Gem Diamonds. During his career Johnny has been exposed to many different environments having either lived or worked extensively across the African continent, Canada, Chile and Australia. Johnny has filled operational, executive and Board roles across multiple commodities such as Diamonds, Gold, Iron Ore, Copper and Cobalt. Johnny is now the CEO of a company focussed on providing key raw materials for the electric vehicle battery market. Over and above this Johnny is currently serving as a non-Executive director on the Boards of Dallaglio Gold and the Zanaga Iron Ore Company.
Zaeem Soofie is a senior partner of the South Africa office of Dentons, the world's largest law firm. He is an energy sector specialist, with practice experience in several legal areas, notably dispute resolution, risk, compliance, governance, and investigations. Zaeem is a former UK and Africa-based BP Executive, General Counsel of two of its global businesses, and Chairman of BP Mozambique. He is also the Lead Independent Director of a major sporting body.
Mike is an experienced healthcare leader with over 20 years of management experience in both the United Kingdom and South Africa. A qualified psychologist, he also holds advanced qualifications in Health Leadership and Human Resource Management. Before his appointment as NSRI CEO in 2024, Mike served for 13 years as CEO of George Regional Hospital, where he was pivotal in advancing clinical excellence and promoting innovation and sustainability. A dedicated NSRI volunteer, Mike has risen through the ranks as a crew member, coxswain, and station commander. He combines strategic leadership, a strong ethical foundation, and operational excellence with an unwavering commitment to NSRI’s volunteer ethos.
Brett joined the NSRI in 2000, serving as a volunteer through the ranks in Durban before joining head office in 2014. He has a background in operations management and training, with extensive marine experience as a surveyor, dive industry professional and commercial skipper. He holds a BSC(Hons) Degree in Geology and an MBA.
Janine joined the NSRI in 2020 with over 30 years' experience in marketing and communications, with a focus on performance marketing, a key driver of our fundraising model. She holds an honors degree in Business Science from UCT. During her career, she spent 14 years in Hong Kong and the UK, in publishing, marketing and advertising roles. Returning to South Africa, she spent 16 years at Standard Bank in various investment banking and group functions, as well as 3 years at SA Breweries leading their corporate communications function.
Grant began surfing and lifesaving at the age of nine, sparking a lifelong commitment to the ocean that has shaped a maritime career spanning more than 36 years. After serving as a senior sea-going officer in the South African Navy, he transitioned to the Merchant Navy and sailed as Master for over 13 years. His experience covers tankers, container vessels, towing, anchor handling, diving and salvage; his last command being Master of the Singapore Navy’s Submarine Search and Rescue vessel. He holds a Master of Commerce degree, professional qualifications from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, and has completed an executive leadership course at GIBS Business School. Grant is currently Vice President for HSSEQ, Aviation & Marine Technical, and Group Audit at a multinational downstream oil company. Grant serves on several boards both locally and internationally. Grant also serves as a coxswain at two rescue bases and is passionate about empowerment and development.
Born in Johannesburg and proudly schooled at King Edward VII in Houghton. James Beaumont studied at University of Cape Town (UCT) and articled at KPMG. He also has an MBA at UCT (Cum Laude) and was awarded the Old Mutual Scholar for academic achievement and was an overall gold medallist. He received National colours for rowing and Provincial colours for sailing (offshore keel boat racing). I am an active mountain and road cyclist. I am an active participant in Sport and GT and single seater motor racing where I race an historical Ford GT40 and a Reynard Formula 3 single seater (current regional class A champion). I own and race both offshore keelboats as well as inshore keel boats. He has spent a large part of his life at sea in both power and sail boats and has a commercial unlimited SAMSA (A) ticket for power and sail. He is deeply passionate about saving lives at sea and this has driven him to join the NSRI in the early 2000s and has been a class 1 coxswain for about 20 years. He was also involved in the founding of the Air rescue unit and was active in that unit for many years as a rescue swimmer and rescue officer.
Lynn is an experienced Finance leader, a CA(SA) with well-rounded Internal Audit and financial Management gained from Operational and Financial management experience obtained from working in small to large multinational organisations and NGOs. Managing team sizes from 2 to 40 (including cross-border in Rwanda). Lynn spent over 15 years as a Financial Manager and headed up the Internal Audit Department of a listed company where she spent 7 years and spearheaded the rollout of risk-based audits. Lynn currently serves as a non-executive Director of two private companies and serves on the Management Committee of an NGO and is a Council Member of the Governing Body of a large private school. After graduating from the University of Western Cape with a B. Compt (Hons) degree, Lynn Davis went on to write the Board Exam and qualified as a Chartered Accountant and served Articles at Ernst and Young with a broad spectrum of audit clients.
Jane Fisher is an experienced financial services executive and Group Director at The Foschini Group (TFG), where she leads a multi-billion rand credit division for customers in South Africa. She holds a Mathematics degree from the University of London and has built an international career across the UK, Europe and South Africa, before permanently relocating to Cape Town. With more than 20 years of leadership experience at Santander, Barclays and Standard Bank, Jane specialises in credit risk, large scale team leadership, operational excellence and performance marketing. She is known for delivering strong commercial outcomes and driving data led strategies across complex organisations. She does all of this whilst also being an avid gravel and mountain biker.
Kelly Fourie joined the NSRI in 2019, and has served at Station 15 (Mossel Bay) since. She is currently serving as the station's first female Deputy Station Commander. Kelly is an admitted and practicing attorney and conveyancer specialising in commercial, fiduciary, and real estate law. She is also a member of the Fiduciary Institute of South Africa, has served on the board of the Mossel Bay Business Chamber since 2018 and has recently joined the governing body of another local NPO. Kelly is passionate about leadership, excellence, and the service of others; and she has dedicated her life to these pursuits.
Ms. Govender is an experienced pharmacist with extensive knowledge of the South African healthcare sector. She has led clinical teams and medical aid organisations, specialising in financial and clinical risk management. She holds a Master’s Degree in Palliative Medicine from the University of Cape Town. Her strong interpersonal skills and ability to identify the root causes of complex issues have made her a valued leader in challenging environments. With executive experience in healthcare companies, she has spent the past nine years as Head of Finance at The Behaviour Change Agency. Rescued by the NSRI after a vessel capsized, Ms. Govender is honoured to serve on the Board, offering a valuable perspective as a survivor and advocate.
Clifford joined the NSRI 29 years ago, and has served at Station 5 (Durban) as Crewman, Coxswain and Station Commander. Clifford is a registered Professional Engineer and a Director in his Consulting Engineering company.
Professor Sa’ad Lahri is an emergency physician and Head of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Stellenbosch University, as well as Head of the Clinical Unit for Emergency Medicine in the Metro East, Cape Town. He is recognised for his leadership in clinical care, medical education, and system improvement, and he actively teaches and trains medical students and registrars in emergency medicine and internal medicine. As an NSRI board member, Sa’ad contributes clinical expertise, medical governance insight, and a deep commitment to public service. His focus includes supporting rescue readiness, high quality clinical training, and stronger integration between emergency medical systems and NSRI operations. He also plays an active national role in curriculum design, specialist training, and emergency care policy. His academic work focuses on assessment, competency based training, and trauma systems, and he is known for his ability to bring teams together across disciplines to improve patient care and professional development.
San Makanjee is an experienced leader in human capital, currently serving as the Global Head of People for Cognia Law. Her role focuses on creating a progressive people strategy to make Cognia the best workplace in the legal sector. She emphasises People & Culture thought leadership to enhance employee experience and foster a positive workplace culture that drives business growth. Key initiatives include developing engagement strategies, implementing feedback mechanisms, and shaping leadership development programs that encourage leaders to embody company values and support employees in reaching their full potential.
Pretty Mbakaza holds a National Diploma in Maritime Studies and is a qualified Master Mariner. Pretty has been in the Maritime Industry for 15 years with operational experience as a seafarer, SAMSA Ship Surveyor and Deputy Principal Officer. She is currently appointed in a role of Head of Sea Watch and Response within the South African Maritime Safety Authority.
Bernard Schäfer’s dynamic mix of financial and big corporate history combined with his intelligence background and specialised security services knowledge as well as his international experience in general management, risk management, strategy and project management consulting, equipped him with a range of skills which he put to good use in helping to revolutionise the fight against crime in the Western Cape by developing key partnerships and creating various structures and entities that embraced and pioneered latest technologies and services to augment the state’s offering and capabilities. Bernard’s meticulous attention to detail whilst having the ability to think beyond the given confines, coupled with his innovative personality, have earned him a reputation of being an astute problem-solver and achiever in any industry. Bernard is also currently in his 18th year of service to NSRI Station 2 Bakoven.
An overview of our organisation, its history and people.
Board effectiveness evaluations are conducted biannually, the scope of which includes an evaluation of the NSRI Board of Directors collectively and a peer-to-peer review of each individual Board member. A detailed report is compiled on the outcomes of the evaluations, with recommendations highlighted for consideration.
Send us your favourite photograph of NSRI people doing what we do, and you could win an NSRI shop voucher worth R250!
Send us your favourite photograph of NSRI people doing what we do, and you could win an NSRI shop voucher worth R250!
Send us your favourite photograph of NSRI people doing what we do, and you could win an NSRI shop voucher worth R250!
The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is proud to announce that our Sea Rescue station at Storms River mouth has been recognised with a Kudu Award by South African National Parks (SANParks) in the Professional Stakeholder category. The award was presented to Bruce Sandmann, NSRI’s Head of Training, at a ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday, 27 November.
On Friday, 15 August, the NSRI hosted its 58th Annual Awards Evening and AGM at Lagoon Beach Hotel in Cape Town. The evening paid tribute to our dedicated volunteers and courageous individuals who risk their lives to save others on South African waters. It was a celebration of their unwavering commitment and remarkable bravery, recognising the vital role they play in safeguarding lives at sea.
The highly anticipated IMRF People's Choice Award 2024 winner was announced at the IMRF Annual Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece. This year, Dr Cleeve Robertson, former NSRI CEO, received the award for his outstanding contributions to the NSRI.
