Gibela appoints Hector Danisa as new CEO

6th May 2019 By: Irma Venter - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Gibela appoints Hector Danisa as new CEO

Hector Danisa

Rolling stock manufacturer Gibela has appointed Hector Danisa as its new CEO, with effect from May 1.

Gibela is tasked with delivering 600 new passenger trains to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in a R59-billion deal signed in 2014. Local content on the trains is to be 65% by volume.

Gibela says Danisa has more than 20 years’ experience in the industrial, logistics, operations and project management sectors.

Danisa joined Gibela as a general manager in the CEO’s office in 2015. In 2017 he was promoted to project director and engineer responsible for the manufacture of the PRASA rolling stock.

Danisa holds a BSc Honours from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wales.

“We are excited about the appointment of an internal, home-grown candidate to the position of CEO for a company mandated with the critical task to provide new rolling stock that will better the daily commute of millions of South Africans,” says Gibela chairperson Mpho Makwana.
 
“Hector has a keen understanding of the strategic significance of the rolling stock project and his strong business and strategic planning acumen positions him well as he takes the baton from his predecessors during a period when the company gears itself up to achieve its ambitious operational and delivery targets.”
 
Hector replaces Thierry Darthout, who will return to Europe after two years at the helm of Gibela.

Gibela has, to date, delivered four South African-made six-car trains from its newly built train manufacturing plant in Dunnottar, Ekurhuleni.

Twenty six-car trains were delivered from Brazil, with 580 six-car trains to be manufactured locally in total.

Darthout told Engineering News at the end of 2017 that the Gibela plant will, at full production in 2019, turn out 62 trains a year – or, one car a day.

Alstom Southern Africa is the majority shareholder in Gibela (61%), while empowerment partners New Africa Rail and Ubumbano Rail hold 9% and 30%, respectively.

Gibela currently employs 800 people.