Shulami Qalinge has been appointed chief executive of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), becoming the first female to hold the position.
She succeeds Richard Vallihu who has taken up the position of group executive: operational readiness, Transnet Corporate Centre. Qalinge joined Transnet 23 years ago as an engineering technician at Transnet Freight Rail (TFR).
She rose through the ranks and held various general management positions at TFR and at the group corporate office before joining the group chief executive’s office as general manager.
A qualified industrial engineer, Qalinge was previously Transnet’s group executive: strategy, where she was responsible for leading and directing Transnet’s growth strategy in international markets, with particular focus on generating revenue from the rest of the African continent and the Middle East.
She holds an MBA from De Montfort University in the UK. Both appointments became effective on July 7.
