Give us a glimpse
into your background
I grew up in Ganyesa. Started my primary schooling at
Mmagaabue Primary School, then moved onto Tshanake and Thibogang Primary
Schools before going to Stellaland Primary School in Vryburg, when the school
first opened its doors to the 1st intake of African pupils.
Things were very
tough. I remained in that school from Std 2 until I completed Std 5 and then
went to Kimberley Girls’ High in Kimberley. When I completed my matric, I had
the option to enroll either at Wits University or University of the Free State
for a Bcom Economics. I chose the latter, as I was quiet a reserved village
girl who had extreme fear of being in a big city like Johannesburg.
After completing my Bcom Economics, I proceeded with my Bcom
Honores in Financial Economics & Investment Management at the same
university. I then went on to join the private sector for a few years, before
joining local government. Three years after being employed by the municipality,
I decided it was time for a career change. I resigned & went back to school
fulltime to pursue Civil Engineering.
What does your job entail?
I currently work for a consulting engineers’ firm & I’m
site based. My job entails making sure that all the designs that we do, are
executed & constructed to the highest quality by the contractor.
How long have you worked for your current
employer? And what are some of your achievements?
I have been with my employer for a little over a year. I’d
say being part of a brilliant team, on a project of such magnitude, is an achievement
on its own.
What do you love about your job?
What I love most about my job is seeing our designs come to
life. When a construction site is first established, there will usually be
nothing at all on the area. With time, after a lot of hard work & the
pressure of meeting milestones, you start seeing tangible concrete outcomes.
Tell us about your experience of growing up in
North West?
I loved growing up in Ganyesa, in particular. There was a
strong sense of onness in the community back then. I loved the peace &
quietness of the village. This has largely contributed to my current love for
areas on the outskirts of cities, away from the hustle & bustle.
Who or what influenced your decision to study
engineering?
I love travelling, and engineering presents you with the
opportunity to travel while you’re working. I also love the outdoors.
Where you not scared that you might be
stepping into a field that is dominated by men? If so how did you deal with those fears?
My best friend always tells me that in the 18 years that
she’s known me, I’ve always gone where few have dared to go. She says ‘ke
segatlhamela masisi’. Making the decision to venture into this industry had
very little influence from the fear of stepping into a male dominated industry,
but rather everything about passion. I also come from a farming background
(with farming being a male dominated industry), so naturally the fear of
engineering being a male dominated industry would not have crippled me.
How would you
describe yourself?
I would describe myself as a very disciplined dreamer, who
will also stop at nothing to make sure that my dreams are achieved.
What are some of the qualities needed to
become a successful engineer?
Resilience & a very strong head between your shoulders.
If you’re not strong enough, you can easily get broken in engineering.
What do you do in your spare time?
I travel whenever I can. Besides road running, I have also
been recently introduced to hiking, so I’ll be doing a lot of that in the near
future.
Who is your role model?
My parents are my biggest role models. They have played a
monumental role of support to me throughout my life.
I pray to God every
single day, to make me half the parent they’ve been to me, to my son.
What is your motto?
I live by the mantra: “I am the captain of my own ship.”
Why would you
encourage women to acquire engineering qualifications?
Apart from destroying the status quo that women are
“predisposed to caring & people careers”, engineering is a fun career that
requires a lot of thought process.
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