Carmen Mathlakola is one of the ambitious young engineers who are working on building Rea Vaya bus stations in Gauteng.
The 28-year-old from Soweto has a BSc in engineering from Wits University and has been working on the Rea Vaya project since 2019.
“I am employed as site engineer at Stefanutti Stocks for the construction of the Rea Vaya BRT stations in Gauteng. I previously worked at Ndodana Consulting Engineers as a student engineer on the RRM projects for the N12-19, N12-18, R21 and N3 national roads. And I've worked as a student engineer at Combrako Pty Ltd. This job was the first to introduce me to the engineering sector, however under the manufacturing industry,” she said.
Although Mathlakola is a successful engineer, her career has not been easy as she battled at times with her academics.
“Engineering as a whole is challenging, from the actual degree itself to being in the field. It took me longer than the average student to complete my studies, however, I used my spare time in the failed years to gain student engineering experience,” she said.
She said she upskilled herself in different fields such as politics and news to make sure she became a well-rounded engineer.
“I further realised my general knowledge and information about my surroundings... I decided to join the Mail and Guardian Society at Wits University. I started off as the public relations officer and later got promoted to be the president of the society. I also joined MXR Radio as a co-host on the podcast, where I learnt how to be more audible and confident in my speech. Not only did I walk out of Wits with my degree, but with a lot of skills set to help me thrive in the working space,” said Mathlakola.
The young engineer said her team, which consists of nine professionals, has four black women.
“Being a black woman in the industry is challenging especially as a site engineer because you constantly have to prove that you can do the job in an environment filled with patriarchal and traditional beliefs. However, I have learnt that being a black woman is also your secret weapon. The persistence, drive, resilience and nurturing nature you have is what makes you stand out in your career and you need to use that to the fullest,” she said.
Mathlakola is also the co founder of CHE, an organisation that helps with giving pupils career guidance.
In the future she hopes to see more investment in the construction industry.
“The construction industry has been on a great decline for the past few years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope that it will rise and we will see a significant investment in the infrastructure development of SA. And when it reaches this point, I'd love to be one of the key engineers in the execution of these projects,” she said.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.