State-owned logistics firm Transnet has announced a R2-million, three-year sponsorship agreement with the Stellenbosch University Business School-Executive Development (USB-ED) – the public management development and training company affiliated to the USB – for the establishment of the Transnet Centre for Business Management of Projects (TCBMP) within USB-ED.

The memorandum of understanding and sponsorship agreement outlined two critical areas that defined the partnership; the establishment of the TCBMP and the creation of a pool of project management skills and knowledge directed at the specific needs of the greater Transnet business environment.

The existing Centre for Business Management of Projects would now change its name to reflect the Transnet association.

Unveiling the new partnership with Transnet at a function on the USB campus in Bellville on Wednesday, centre director Willem Louw said project managers should rethink their identity, actions and exploits, quoting from a message delivered by Minister in the Presidency Responsible for National Planning Trevor Manuel at the recent Civilution conference, in Ekurhuleni.

“Our partnership with Transnet is precisely about that,” he commented.

Transnet Human Resources group executive Nonkululeko Sishi added that the parastatal had partnered with various institutions of higher learning and was “delighted” that its partnership with USB-ED would look to find a solution for skills shortages in Transnet and elsewhere.

“As Transnet, we are entering our third year of execution [of] our Market Demand Strategy. We have invested millions in our employees – spending some R2.5-billion on training during the last three years – and, in the future, a key focus of development will be on critical and priority skills areas, including business and project management,” she remarked.

Meanwhile, USB-ED CEO Frik Landman said, by the end of the year, USB-ED aimed to have a presence in up to 16 African countries.

“With the help of partnerships, we want to establish an advanced network of learning throughout Africa. The business management and project management interface during the front-end of projects is part of this and a USB-ED specialist area through which we want to make a difference in Africa by upgrading infrastructure and growing the African economy.

“We are delighted that an organisation such as Transnet has decided to partner with us,” he said.