BUSINESS AND TRAINING 9
Women on Site
Supplied by
BluLever, edited by Tanya Olckers
Anitha Gamede is bringing fierce determination and a deep sense of purpose to the plumbing industry. A member of BluLever’ s Pathfinders cohort, Anitha’ s journey into the trades is rooted in real-world experience, curiosity, and the drive to master a skill that many still see as‘ men’ s work’. Here is her story in her own words.
All images supp lied by BluLever Education
I’ d take initiative on small tasks, call him for approval, and over time, we built a better relationship.
Anitha’ s advice to plumbers Be yourself. Don’ t be afraid to ask questions when you don’ t understand something. Take every challenge as a chance to grow and build new skills. It’ s not about proving you’ re better – it’ s about proving to yourself that you belong.
Future fixer, Anitha Gamede.
Being in the plumbing field has been a dream of mine for the past four years. My interest started while doing practicals as a Plant Operator at a wastewater and water treatment plant. One day a burst pipe needed fixing, and my supervisor told me " A good operator knows plumbing ". That was the first time I even heard the term. Curiosity took over – I began shadowing him on field calls, learning how plumbing problems were solved, and that’ s when I fell in love with the trade.
When I told my father I wanted to become a plumber, he said " No way, that’ s a man’ s job ". But I was fortunate to be part of a programme funded by Harambee and initiated by NBI, which trained young individuals to become plumbers. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and even though earning trust from customers was tough at first, many were encouraged and felt safe seeing a woman show up for the job.
I didn’ t receive much support from my family because they didn’ t fully understand what plumbing entailed. During EBL, I had to show up fully, be proactive and take accountability. As an apprentice, every mistake falls on you. My partner wouldn’ t take any of my ideas seriously, especially because I was a student— and worse, a woman. But that didn’ t discourage me. I asked my supervisor numerous questions ahead of time and spent extra time during lunch getting to know my partner, and eventually, I understood how to work with him.
In my first week of EBL, we were working on above-ground drainage and digging trenches. The guys often said things like“ let’ s take out the rocks” and assumed I couldn’ t do it. So, I waited until they were on a break, grabbed a spade, and started digging out the soil myself. They were shocked at how I handled the spade, then I moved onto lifting pipes. That moment changed things. They told me,“ If you can do the digging and pipe lifting, nothing in plumbing can stand in your way.” I proved that I could handle even the toughest parts of the job— parts that many assume women can’ t do.
The most rewarding part of plumbing is the sense of accomplishment and sharpening my problem-solving skills. I’ ve helped shift the perception of women in plumbing. I’ m showing the world that women belong here. That’ s powerful.
Many plumbing companies now have around 30 % women on their teams. At my current site, my supervisor sometimes assigns tasks to me alone with no assistance, because he trusts me to deliver results. That kind of confidence motivates me. I’ ve also noticed some male plumbers starting to rely on us women for key tasks. PA
Plumbing is no longer a pipe dream for Anitha.
October 2025 Volume 31 I Number 08 www. plumbingafrica. co. za