Few people can say their shipping career started on a honeymoon, as an enrolled crew member, steering a vessel when the autopilot was not working.. Mrs.Sandra Sarno can..
In this exclusive interview with Shipping and Freight Resource, to commemorate her induction into the Hall of Fame at the 3rd South African Shipping Gala on 13th November 2026, Sandra Sarno takes us on a journey from her association with MSC in the 1970s till her induction into the South African Shipping Hall of Fame..
Sandra speaks about her early years at sea, building MSC’s container depot operations in South Africa, the growth of container logistics, and women in shipping..
A shipping career that started at sea
A few days after her wedding, Sarno boarded the motor vessel Rafaela (MSC’s second-ever ship) with her husband Capt.Salvatore Sarno and spent 6 months experiencing shipping from a seafarer’s perspective..
The work was practical and wide-ranging, including scenarios of steering the vessel when the autopilot was not working, preparing crew lists and salary slips, checking cargo manifests and cargo plans, and preparing provision lists, at a time when many functions now handled ashore were still carried out on board..
I could experience for six months the real shipping from a seaman point of view.
She says her meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Aponte was fundamental to her development, as they began to share the founders’ ambitions for MSC, and also fundamental in her belief that the company would one day become a major player in world shipping..
Building the depot business
Sandra has been credited with establishing MSC’s first container depot in Durban, an operation that subsequently grew into a national depot network.. Her recollection of the early challenge is remarkably concise..
My biggest challenge was to convince my 100% male employees that a woman could explain to them how to create a better container stacking area.. And I did.
Decades of containerisation have, of course, brought about a different set of operational demands.. Sarno points particularly to the growth in container volumes and refrigerated equipment, which required changes in machinery, computer systems, and the way depot operations were managed..
Yet her answer on meeting customer expectations came back to people..
More importantly, to satisfy customer expectations, I had to employ very good people.
Location decisions followed customer requirements, with facilities including City Deep, Durban, and Rosslyn developed around those needs, while MSC sought to maintain common operational standards across the depot network with control from Durban..
Women, leadership, and knowing the job
Sarno spent much of her career in operational environments that were overwhelmingly male.. Her view on leadership after 50 years in the industry is direct..
Leadership is knowledge, whether you are a man or a woman.. You must know your job if you want to be a leader.. Of course, you need time, a lot of time, to learn and to know.
It is a useful point for an industry where operational credibility is earned over time.. Titles can give someone authority.. Knowledge of the work, the equipment, the customer, and the operation is what allows that authority to carry weight..
South Africa has the people, but needs the infrastructure
Asked about the most pressing challenges facing South African shipping, Sandra focused on rail and container terminal capability..
We have everything except a proper rail system and a well-equipped container terminal.. We have the best workforce in Africa, and they lack equipment to improve their performance.
For an industry that depends on the connection between vessels, terminals, depots, rail, road, and customers, those constraints affect far more than the quayside.. Equipment and inland connectivity determine how efficiently cargo can move through the entire system..
50 years recognised by the industry
Sarno is one of the first 2 women inducted into the South African Shipping Gala Hall of Fame.. For her, this recognition reflects the result of sustained work across 50 years..
I am very honoured for this recognition.. And this is the proof that in doing your job with passion and dedication over various decades, because it’s 50 years, then you can emerge above the normality whether you are a man or a woman.
When asked about bringing together family, work, and the company she has spent much of her life helping to build, Sarno said balancing office and family life, particularly while working in the same company as her husband, requires passion for both..
You can view the full interview here..
Executive Insights is a series by Shipping and Freight Resource featuring industry leaders sharing their perspectives on the issues shaping global shipping, freight, logistics, and trade..
