Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has announced the appointments of Shadrack Tshikalange as Port Manager at the Port of Mossel Bay and Sharon Sijako as Port Manager in East London, effective 1 December 2017.

According to Transnet both appointees have fulfilled the roles in an acting capacity since April 2017 when TNPA last made leadership appointments following the resignation of the Cape Town and Saldanha Port Managers.

Tshikalange and Sijako most recently served at their respective ports as Senior Operations Managers for three and a half years.

High calibre of applicants 

Commenting on the appointments TNPA Chief Executive Shulami Qalinge said the ports authority was delighted to have finalised the recruitment and selection processes leading up to these appointments, as this would better enable Transnet to deliver on its strategic objectives and continue to pursue improvements in safety and operational efficiencies at these ports.

“I would also like to thank Captain Vania Cloete in Mossel Bay and Alvin Singama in East London, who have both shared the Acting Port Manager responsibilities with our successful appointees in their respective ports this year,” she noted.

“The decision was not made any easier due to the high calibre of these and other applicants. We are however confident that Shadrack and Sharon will continue to serve our organisation and its clients most ably in their new roles,” she added.

Meet the managers

Sijako, the second female Port Manager in East London after Jacqueline Brown, has more than a decade of senior operations experience spanning the port’s automotive, container and grain terminals.

Her career with Transnet began over 21 years ago and her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts degree and an honours degree in administration from the University of the Western Cape.

Tshikalange’s foray into the maritime industry began in 2014 when he was appointed as Senior Operations Manager at the Port of Mossel Bay. His responsibilities included ensuring efficient port operations, compliance management and that operational standards were met and exceeded.

Prior to joining Transnet his career experience lay predominantly in local government and development. Tshikalange holds a B Juris degree from the University of the North, as well as an array of certifications in fields as diverse as Port Management, Project Management, Development Planning and Labour Relations.