Ray Smuts
WHEREAS Cape Town's outgoing port services manager Malcolm Green is a marketing man first and foremost, his successor Sanjay Govan brings to the position financial expertise.
The son of a general dealer from Burgersdorp near Aliwal North, Govan, 34, clearly recalls the excitement at his first glimpse of the ocean as a six-year-old, little realising he would one day be closely associated with the sea.
Govan matriculated at East London High School in 1984, then went on to obtain a B.Com degree at Rhodes University before completing his articles at Deloitte and Touche in East London.
In 1995 he was appointed revenue manager for the Port of East London and its financial manager three years later. He became East London's port services manager in July last year.
Looking back at his East London experience, Govan says the port is only now starting to become profitable after several years.
With DaimlerChrysler's export of the C-class Mercedes Benz the port now has weekly callers in SAECS so that is bringing in a lot of extra boxes. If marketed further the port could be gaining 40 or 50 boxes a week.
He sees as a priority for his successor Tammi Ntshingila, former strategy and co-ordination manager at Richards Bay, the focus on customers in order to gain more cargo.
As for Cape Town, he intends continuing along the good foundation' laid down by predecessor Green. There don't appear to be any major hiccups, in fact very few if any at all.
I relish this challenge, coming at a time where the City of Cape Town is booming in all spheres and one of my priorities will be to see how I can facilitate growth in the city and the Western Cape.
Govan has been married to Hemi for five years. The couple have no children.
Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
No article may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor
To respond to this article send your email to joyo@nowmedia.co.za
