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Mesela Nhlapo, Chief Executive Officer of the African Rail Industry Association (ARIA), a devoted patriot of the South African rail sector and its people, has been honoured with the Excellence in Leadership award at the Women in Transport Awards.

The award, presented in Durban as part of the Transport Evolution Africa Forum & Expo, goes to the woman who has demonstrated excellent leadership in the workplace and contributed directly to transformation in the industry.

Nhlapo has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing and technical business development and has been the CEO of ARIA since 2017. In her capacity as CEO, she has been a driving force in negotiations around third-party access for private rail freight companies to the South African rail network.

ARIA has been instrumental in the development of policies and regulations through its advocacy, working with government to enable the significant evolution of the rail sector. This advocacy paid off when the National Rail Policy was unveiled earlier this year, allowing private rail operators access to the country’s core rail network.

“The reforms, first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in October 2020 as part of the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, aim to supplement Transnet’s capacity, migrate freight volumes from road to rail and stimulate broader economic growth,” says Nhlapo.

“I believe that these reforms play an important role in supporting productivity and increasing the sustainability of the country’s economy”, says Nhlapo. Nhlapo believes that for South Africa to cement its position as a freight and logistics leader on the African continent, rail should be the preferred mode of transport. She says third party operators accessing the existing rail infrastructure brings immense benefits to South Africa’s GDP.

“I am very passionate about third party access to the rail sector. The most important reason is the economic benefit that comes with the structural reform of the sector, but secondly, for us to achieve our transformation that came post-democracy, for women and youth empowerment, we must transform the sector,” says Nhlapo.

Issued by Chief Executive Office The African Rail Industry Association, Mesela Nhlapo