The School of Law in the College of Law (CLAW) recently hosted a successful conference styled as an industry talk that brought together critical stakeholders within the general aviation industry. The General Aviation Indaba attracted participants from diverse fields of aviation.

The event was a collaboration between Unisa, the aviation media company Flying Jurist, the hosts of the 2024 expo - Aero South Africa, and the Afrikan Peer Growth Network. The Indaba aimed to bring industry stakeholders together to discuss the state of the general aviation industry and explore ways to improve and develop it.

Members of the audience

Pilot and Acting Director of the School of Law, Prof Angelo Dube, was the programme director on the day and ably guided the deliberations across two panels.

In his opening remarks, Michael Dehn, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt South Africa expressed his gratitude regarding the collaborative efforts between Aero South Africa and academia and indicated that the Indaba had made a positive contribution to the experience that visitors from across the African continent had at the Aero South Africa expo.

Advocate Anne-Lize Lourens

Aviation law specialist Advocate Anne-Lize Lourens delivered a riveting keynote address titled "Transformation and development of the general aviation sector in South Africa". Her presentation centred around the statistical breakdown of licence holders in South Africa and how females essentially remain excluded, and that targeted efforts are required to transform the industry and make it more inclusive.

Dr Lindelwa Mhlongo, CLAW Manager of Strategic Projects, delivered the welcome address, touching on the timely scheduling of the General Aviation Indaba, the need for partnerships between industry stakeholders, such as Flying Jurist, Aero South Africa and academic institutions like Unisa.

The first panel at the Indaba was themed "Opportunities and prospects of entering the general aviation industry". Stephanus Mannie from the erstwhile National Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development presented on the Department's efforts to build the capacity of drone operators and use drones in disaster situations.

Neil de Lange, Senior Manager at the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), presented on efforts to instil a safety culture within general aviation. He mentioned that the SACAA had moved from a regulation compliance oversight model to a risk and performance-based one. He also called upon industry experts, pilots and academics to participate in the Civil Aviation Regulations Committee (CARComm) to enhance the SACAA's regulatory oversight.

Dr MaseTshaba Mantepu with members of the audience

Dr MaseTshaba Mantepu, Acting Executive Dean of the College of Economics and Management Sciences, made a compelling case for Unisa's value proposition to the general aviation sector. Mantepu spoke on current and future programme offerings that Unisa has or is working on that would interest pilots and other general aviation sector personnel.

Caroline Ungersbock of the Rural Aerodrome Company drew from her experiences as an entrepreneur to discuss the challenges of starting up a rural general aviation operation in Victoria West.

Clinton Heinemann, Deputy Director General in the erstwhile National Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development, made meaningful contributions about future collaborations between the government and entrepreneurs and the need for MoUs to be concluded between government departments and Unisa.

The second panel was themed "Mentorship and networking as enablers in the general aviation industry". MedEvac Pilot Boitumelo (Tumi) Katisi, who co-founded Aviation Development Africa, spoke about the need to capacitate the girl child. She lamented the mentorship and funding gap that is affecting young people.

Inathi Dyonashe, Cabin Crew Licence holder and current student pilot, spoke on how the challenges and barriers to entry in the industry pushed him to take a detour and study for a Bachelor's degree whilst keeping his aviation interests alive.

Masentle Maseane, student pilot and mentee of the 99s, Africa Section, spoke on the challenges of juggling school and work, highlighting how being a member of the 99s helped her get guidance and motivation from senior aviators.

The feedback from attendees after the Indaba indicated that this industry talk was timely. Many issues currently affecting the industry can only be addressed if all stakeholders brainstorm the most suitable solutions. From young pilots and aero-engineers to government representatives, entrepreneurs and academics, the resounding sentiment was that this was long overdue and that more platforms of this nature were needed. Most led the enquiry about whether the event would be held again in 2025.

The General Aviation Indaba 2024 was a huge success. Talks are underway with partners to deliver an even more vibrant Indaba 2025 at a grander scale.

Watch a recording of the event

* By Prof Angelo Dube, Pilot and Acting Director of the School of Law