32 REGULARS
Fortune Vonani Makhubela
Edited by
Megan O’ Connor
Here, we profile Fortune Makhubela – a confident yet humble passionate plumber, who loves the systems-thinking of plumbing work.
Makhubela did his training at BluLever Education, with 2026 his third year as an apprentice, and the year that he will obtain his Red Seal qualification. He has been involved in the industry since 2017 – with 2026 his ninth year in the industry. He currently works at Burgess Plumbing, which has exposed him to commercial, residential and industrial plumbing.
However, Makhubela did not always know that he wanted to be a plumber. He always had two career options that he wanted to pursue – civil engineering and being part of the air force in the army. From these two options, civil engineering was the path he chose, and he obtained his diploma. He was drawn to engineering because of the multiple options it presented in terms of career paths – he could become an inspector, foreman or specialised technician. He also found that civil engineering fed into his love of exploring and addressing multiple different things, and allowed him to keep growing all the time.
In 2017, Makhubela worked as a junior surveying technician which exposed him to multiple construction environments. This work taught him to understand how different people work with one another, as well as how to conduct oneself in a manner through which he could achieve his goals. And when he was exposed to plumbing work, he realised that much of what he loved about engineering was also found in the plumbing industry.
In the last five years in plumbing, he has found his love for learning has grown, thanks to the many different parts of plumbing he has been exposed to: above and below ground drainage systems, hot and cold water systems, rainwater systems and gutters. He has also learnt bylaws, SANS codes and why certain materials are used, as well as the understanding of plumbing procedures.
Image supplied by Fortune Makhubela
His engagement with others, confidence, love for learning, self-motivation, creativity, ability to think out-of-the-box, love for growth and physical fitness are all things that he attributes to his love for plumbing –“ All of these components that make up the system of the plumber.” He also believes that as a plumber he is a‘ water doctor’, providing safe sanitation to the communities that he serves – a responsibility that he does not take lightly.
Makhubela’ s motto when working is this:“ I am always ready to do the work, much like an automated machine – and I don’ t believe any challenges can make me give up. But I am limited, much like that automated machine
www. plumbingafrica. co. za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline April 2026 Volume 32 I Number 02