A search is underway for five Nigerian nationals missing at sea after their ship sank off Mossel Bay on Saturday night.  

Their vessel, the MW Leo, owned by Lagos-based Magnet Energy Limited, was making its way from Durban to Nigeria when it fell into distress.  

According to the National Department of Transport, the vessel sent out a distress signal when it was at about 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay. 

“The MW Leo, registered under the Comoros flag, transmitted a distress signal reporting uncontrolled water ingress,” read the department’s statement.  

The department noted that the situation escalated rapidly, forcing the 18 Nigerian crew members to evacuate.  

“The crew reportedly abandoned ship onto the vessel’s liferafts, and the vessel subsequently sank in the early hours of 01 March 2026,” the department confirmed.

Of all the crew on board, 12 crew members have been rescued alive, one death was recorded after a body was recovered, and five crew members remain missing at sea. 

The department added that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town is coordinating the response, while the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) investigates. 

A statement noted that the Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy, and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have expressed their condolences to the affected families and to the Nigerian High Commissioner, HE Tope Ajayi. 

“Creecy and Hlengwa have expressed their pain and condolences to High Commissioner Ajayi who is grappling with this maritime incident, and emphasized the urgent need to find the missing crew members.. They have also expressed messages of support to the families whose loved ones are still missing at sea,” the statement read.