SA Affordable Housing July / August 2017 // Issue: 65 | Page 32

FEATURES
Lebogang Mashele of Motheo Group believes she has a long way to
go in the industry. Image: Ngage
LEBOHANG MASHELE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER AT MOTHEO CONSTRUCTION
Mashele has been in the civil engineering industry for about 10
years. “My sister led me to civil engineering, and I fell in love
with it while I was still studying,” she says. Watching a project
move from design to completion is what has made her remain
in the industry as long as she has. “It’s quite inspiring watching
it being operational as well as being able to tell my kids one
day that I built that building,” she says.
Being part of growth and development of the country is also
something that has stood out for her. Some of the projects she’s
worked on include the Gautrain Station and the Eskom Kusile
Power Station. “Being a woman in construction is not really
friendly,” she says. She’s learnt to make herself heard by her
male counterparts by being firm, loud and developing a thick
skin.
A guy who once told her that women don’t belong in the
industry inspired her to stay to prove him wrong. “It hasn’t been
an easy road, getting where I am,” she says. She feels that being
at Motheo Construction has given her a platform to express
herself, something she has struggled with throughout her
career. “I can actually make a difference or influence
something. I still believe I have a long way to go, I’m not a
director yet,” she says. She says that the industry is slow in
developing women but it is happening. “I’d still like to see
women running companies in the top five (of construction)
having operational say,” she says.
Zandile Makhawukani Shivambu of Eskom loves the
opportunities available to her. Image: Makhawukani
Shivambu
ZANDILE MAKHAWUKANI SHIVAMBU,
CONTRACTS MANAGER AT ESKOM
A friend’s brother who studied quantity surveying and
ran his own company inspired Shivambu to be in the
industry. With nine years in the industry she loves
the endless opportunities available in a male
dominated industry.
“I meet different people every day, they are willing
to share their knowledge of the industry as long as
you are willing to learn,” she says. She hadn’t realised
that she’s been in the industry for quite some time. “I
honestly had not realise I have been in the industry for
that long. I think it goes back to what do I love most
about my job, the people. From the client to the
consultants and the contractors. I enjoy interacting
with different people on all levels,” she says.
THOKOZANE MASIKANE-ZONDI, CEO OF TIBA T.
TRADING ENTERPRISE
A KwaZulu-Natalian entrepreneur who has been manufacturing
and paving her way to success for 11 years. She reflects on how
she grew up under difficult conditions. “My parents struggled
to put us through school and when it was my turn to get a
tertiary education, I couldn’t,” she says. She worked at Checkers
and volunteered with the South African Police Services (SAPS)
before starting her business that manufactures a range of
blocks for construction purposes. She isn’t fazed by the male-
dominated construction industry, she is surging ahead to fulfil
her dream of landing large-scale projects and branching into
transport and logistics. She attributes her business success to
sheer hard work and resilience. Her greatest rewards are being
able to help families earn a living from the jobs she has created
and helping her community to build their dream homes.
30
JULY - AUGUST 2017
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING
Thokozane Masikane-Zondi of Tiba T. Trading Enterprise
isn’t fazed by the male-dominated industry.
Image: Meropa