Women in Transport Awards finalists announced

Finalists for the Women in Transport Awards will all gather at the Durban International Convention Centre, on October 18, to be honoured for achieving excellence within the rail and maritime industry in Africa.

“The awards are segmented into five categories to cater for female contribution across the broad spectrum of the transport industry,” says awards director Athi Myoli.

“The number of nominations received from across Africa has been overwhelming. The positive response is testimony to the fact that there are many successes in the industry that deserve recognition,” she adds.

The category finalists (in no specific order) are:

Best Performing Institution in Transport:
•    Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
•    Transport Education Training Authority (TETA)
•    Gautrain Management Agency (GMA)

Best Head of Department in Transport:
•    Nelisiwe Mbenekazi, Transnet Port Terminals (Eastern Cape, South Africa)
•    Silindile Mkhabela, Transnet National Ports Authority (Port of Durban, South Africa)
•    Nandipha Mtsokoba, Transnet National Ports Authority (Port of Durban, South Africa)
•    Maria Mzimela, Transnet Freight Rail (Durban, South Africa)
•    Debbie Phillips, MBS Transport (Pretoria, South Africa)
•    Sylvia Siyo, Transnet National Ports Authority (Durban, South Africa)
•    Pinky Zungu, Transnet National Ports Authority (Durban, South Africa)

Best Innovation Partnership in Service Delivery (Project):
•    Sisters on Ships (Theresa Williams)
•    JRS Solutions (Seshme Holloway)
•    Coega Industrial Development Zone (Linda Sityoshwana)
•    Transnet Freight Rail (Maria Mzimela)

Best Port Operator or Terminal in Africa:
•    Namibia Port, Namibia
•    Port of Maputo, Mozambique
•    Port of Tema, Ghana
•    Transnet, South Africa
•    DCG – DSM Corridor Group

Best Skills Contributor:
•    Nokwanda Dlamini, Ethekwini Maritime Cluster Incubation (South Africa)
•    Rose Luke, University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
•    Khomotjo Mphalalele, Transnet MSoE (South Africa)
•    Aruna Bunwaree Ramasha, Mauritius Port Authority (Mauritius)
•    Theresa Violet Williams, Sisters on Ships (South Africa)

The Women in Transport Awards function is co-located with the African Ports Evolution and African Rail Evolution forums. Winners will be announced by South African Deputy Minister of Transport, Lydia Sindisiwe Chikunga, who is also the keynote speaker at the event.