Durban, South Africa: I write this fresh from the dynamic halls of the Durban International Convention Centre, where over 1 000 delegates gathered on Tuesday, 12 August 2025, for the ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Global Summit – a collaborative effort by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Department of Transport, and our own South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) – a truly remarkable milestone in securing the future of our skies. The summit is set to run until 14 August 2025.
The summit theme, “The Flight Plan for Future Aviation Talent: Innovate, Educate, Inspire - Building the Workforce for the Skies Ahead,” could not be more fitting. From the moment the summit opened its doors, the urgency to tackle aviation’s demographic gap was palpable.
In her powerful opening remarks, SACAA’s Director of Civil Aviation, Ms Poppy Khoza, underscored the critical mission: to attract, educate, and retain the talent our industry so desperately needs. The numbers shared were staggering – ICAO predicts requirements by 2037 include over 665 000 aircraft maintenance technicians, some 554 000 pilots, nearly 922 000 cabin crew members and 106 000 air traffic controllers among others. That volume alone demands our collective resolve.
Secretary‑General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Adefunke Adeyemi, spoke with clarity and conviction – African institutions must collaborate more consistently, and we must prioritise building the “employee of the future.” Her words echoed our shared commitment to cooperative growth across the continent.
From the global stage, ICAO Secretary‑General Juan Carlos Salazar reminded us all of the imperative to drive cross‑sectoral collaboration and contribute toward a net‑zero aviation future. This holistic view reminded us that workforce development, sustainability, innovation and connectivity are part of one thread.
Our KwaZulu‑Natal MEC for Transport painted a vivid picture of local infrastructure – airfields, airstrips, the Dube Trade Port and special economic zones – as vibrant arteries ready to catalyse aviation-led growth. His confidence in the province’s readiness to support the sector was inspiring.
SACAA Chair Mr Ernest Khosa then introduced Minister Barbara Creecy with warmth and respect, highlighting her vast civil service experience and commending the SACAA’s steadfast work in keeping our skies safe.
Minister Creecy’s speech turned our gaze outward, towards continental integration – the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as engines for job creation and economic growth. She stressed that increasing airport capacity, expanding networks across South Africa and SADC, and streamlining services are vital tasks – but impossible without a well‑planned and inclusive workforce development strategy. We need inclusive pathways, accessible aviation careers, and mentorship opportunities in engineering, air traffic control, maintenance and beyond. She paid homage to the past and present pillars of South African aviation – the South African Airforce, SAPS Airwing, Denel, Armscor – and celebrated FlySafair, Airlink, academia, and nonprofits, amongst others, in cultivating the next generation of talent.
In honour of Women’s Month, she turned our attention to gender mainstreaming. Aviation must reflect our demographics. She emphasised funding support as a means to dismantle barriers to entry for aspiring professionals, and praised the SACAA’s efforts in engaging school learners.
The crescendo of her call was unmistakable – without collaboration across ILO, IATA, ICAO, industry, government and academia, we would falter. Her reference to the “No Country Left Behind” initiative reinforced South Africa’s regional leadership in aviation skills transfer and knowledge sharing.
As we look ahead, all eyes turn to the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly in September. South Africa’s hopes to return to the ICAO Council reaffirm our commitment to champion Africa’s aviation growth on the global stage.
Vuyolwethu Siyolise Musoke, Correspondent
Vuyo is currently busy with her LLM by full research and is focusing on the area of aviation law and trade.
