Chirwa is overseeing the R1.2bn expansion of the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) to reclaim its spot as the world’s single-largest coal export facility, helping manage brittle relations between small and large users and interacting with the rail authorities, the vital link in the whole chain. He’s doing all this while studying towards a Master of Philosophy (Economic Policy) degree at the University of Stellenbosch to add to a list of impressive qualifications he’s accumulated since graduating as an electrical and electronics engineer at the University of Malawi in 1991. Raymond goes head-to-head with his two teenage sons in achieving the best results for exams and by all accounts the competition is fierce. Chirwa has been with RBCT for seven years in managerial positions, taking up the reins of CEO in July 2009. His big task is successfully commissioning the delayed expansion of the export facility to 91m t/year. A complicated new computer system has been the reason for the delay, entailing a switch to the old – now upgraded – system. The other is to create a meaningful relationship with Transnet Freight Rail, the bottleneck preventing mines from exporting more coal abroad. Exports of 61m t in 2009 were well below that year’s capacity of 76m t.

LIFE OF RAYMOND
Born in South Africa, Raymond was raised and educated in Malawi. He started his working life at the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi, where he managed the electrical side of a R100m hydropower station project. After seven years there, he moved over to the Eskom Duvha power station. He joined RBCT in 2004, rising rapidly up the managerial ranks.