Mr Siyabonga Gama is the Group Chief Executive of Transnet SOC Ltd, South Africa’s state-owned freight transport and logistics company. This places him at the helm of the company’s record-breaking infrastructure investment programme and operational efficiency drive - the Market Demand Strategy. In addition, he is responsible for galvanising his over 60 000 colleagues across the company’s ports, rail and pipelines operations. For the past 11 years, he has been Chief Executive of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the rail freight division of Transnet, and serves on the Group Executive Committee. Mr Gama turned around TFR, the company’s largest division, from losses when he took over and transformed it to the highest contributor to Transnet’s financial performance. Over his tenure, TFR has grown into a more than 60% contributor to Transnet’s R56,6 billion revenue, employs 30 000 of Transnet’s over 60 000 colleagues and accounts for two thirds of Transnet’s R330 billion investment programme. Before he took over at TFR, Mr Gama was Chief Executive of Transnet National Ports Authority – the company’s ports landlord division – where he served as Port Manager and General Manager previously. He has been with Transnet for almost 21 years.
He has received several industry awards in recognition of his leadership. These include:
• 2014 BBQ Public Sector Visionary Award;
• 2008 National Business Leader of the year;
• 2004 BBQ Young Business Leader of the year;
• Honorary lifetime President of the Union of African Railways; and
• Honorary member of the International Association of Ports and Harbours.
Outside Transnet, he has served as:
• President - Union of African Railways;
• President - Union of International Railways Africa (UIC-Africa);
• President - Port Management Association of Eastern & Southern Africa;
• President - Pan African Association for Africa Ports;
• Vice-President - International Association of Ports and Harbours;
• Vice-President - World Economic Council of the Union of International Railways; and
• Board member of the Southern African Railway Association.
Mr Gama also serves on the boards of Italtile Limited and Mafumbuka Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. Before joining Transnet he worked as a banker and analyst at Standard Bank and JP Morgan (New York) respectively.He holds a Master of Business Administration (Jointly awarded by New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business the London School of Economics and Political Science), a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, and various qualifications in business leadership, management and operations.