TRANSNET Port Terminals (TPT) has appointed seasoned Transnet executive Nozipho Sithole to the position of Chief Executive with effect from 01 July 2017, the first woman to have been appointed to this high-ranking position within the Transnet Operating Division since its inception.
Sithole has had a long and varied career at Transnet and leaves Transnet Freight Rail’s Iron Ore and Manganese business unit where, as General Manager, she led the high performing iron ore and manganese value chain. She has also previously held the position of General Manager National Command Centre at TFR. The last position she held at TFR before joining TPT is that of Divisional Chief Operations Officer.
“As Chief Executive of TPT, Sithole is responsible for translating the Group Market Demand Strategy into clear operational targets and leading the organization in driving collaboration and integration in line with Transnet Value Chain Coordinator (TVCC) business requirements, “said Mlamuli Buthelezi, Transnet’s Group Chief Operating Officer.
Sithole said: “I look forward to making a difference at TPT and driving operational excellence while creating a culture of continuous improvement in safety, quality and operating processes. TPT is South Africa’s leading provider of cargo handling services to a wide spectrum of customers. Through service improvement we can promote volume growth across the sectors of containers, bulk, break bulk and automotive as well as ensuring optimum utilization of our assets.”
Although Sithole has spent many years at TFR, she is well versed in port matters having been Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port Manager Port of Durban from 2000-2003 and TNPA General Manager Operations from 2004 – 2007.
She graduated from Wits University in 1989 with a B.Com LLB and practiced law at Weber Wentzel where she qualified as an attorney, conveyancer and notary public of the High Court before joining Transnet in 1994 as a Legal Advisor.
In 1999, she obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Operations and Management Supervision from the Milpark Business School. Thereafter, she obtained a qualification from Quantum Leap South Africa in the field of human behaviour.