M.Comm. / Any macro transport economic study of maritime education, training and development (ETD) will need to identify the many and varied role players involved therein or affected thereby. An introduction to the complexity, demands, needs and problems, and dynamic nature of the maritime industry, and of ETD in South Africa, is also necessary. Attention in the industry to safety and the resultant international requirements, in particular, makes adequate and coordinated maritime ETD and cognisance of the developments in this arena, essential. The regulatory and institutional framework within which ETD and the maritime industry function must be investigated. The Maritime Industry Training Board (MITB) is the current coordinator of maritime ETD in South Africa. As such, the effectiveness and efficiency of its activities need to be assessed, on an ongoing basis, by the role players which it serves to ensure that its co-ordinating functions facilitate the fulfilment of their needs and problems. The core problem investigated in this study, is the lack of co-ordinated maritime ETD, specifically in South Africa. The aim of the study, therefore, is to explore the subject of maritime ETD.