The Civil Engineering Contractor November 2018 | Page 34

PROFILE
On the right track,
in the right space
By Ntsako Khosa
Shamiso Kumbirai, a water
engineer at Aurecon,
describes 2018 as the year
to encourage the
new engineer.
T
Shamiso Kumbirai, Aurecon
water engineer.
32 | CEC November 2018
he year started off on a
high note after she was
selected to represent
southern African youth at
the World Economic Forum (WEF)
in Davos. Kumbirai is a member of
the WEF Global Shapers, a network
of inspiring young people under 30
working to address local, regional,
and global challenges. According to
her, the selection left her speechless.
She was selected for her work in
bulk water supply and hydropower
engineering in Africa, as well as
her involvement with WomEng, an
award-winning initiative to support
young women in engineering.
Later in the year, Consulting
Engineers South Africa (CESA)
awarded her the Young Engineer of
the Year Award. “The highlight of
my career is definitely winning the
CESA award. It served as a validation
— I’m definitely not the only one
who sees civil engineering the way
that I do. Winning wasn’t only a
validation for me, but it showed
that there is a space for young and
more experienced engineers to see
engineering differently. To actually
be bold and thrive in the industry,”
she says.
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