Name: Zandile Nkosi
Company: WBHO – I joined WBHO in 2014 and started working on Candy in 2015.
Designation: Site Agent
What advice would you give to young women considering your profession?
The Construction industry has a lot of opportunities for young woman who enjoy a challenge and are willing to be away from their friends and family often.
It is extremely rewarding to see something built that you were a part of and knowing that you could be driving past a bridge and you could tell your kids that, “Mommy built that”.
However, before you decide to go into this industry, do some serious soul searching because this industry is not for the faint hearted. 90% of the time you find yourself in a situation where you are in a boardroom and you are the only woman there.
At first, I struggled with this but eventually I took pride in those moments because it highlights that the industry is changing; more often now you see females popping up everywhere and that bodes well for the future.
It is not easy, but you need to be confident and stand your ground. Make your presence known so you are not ignored and fight for every opportunity that comes your way.
At the core of it, my passion for this industry comes from the fact that I enjoy challenges and that I derive a great deal of pleasure from playing with the big toys that I get to play with on a daily basis.
Who is your role model?
My mom. She was a single parent and worked hard to raise my sister and I to be successful adults. We are the strong woman we are today because of her strength and perseverance. I can confidently say I got my strength and attitude from her and I draw from those qualities especially in the industry that I am a part of.
What was the most exciting / fun / interesting project that you have worked on?
I am currently on a project in Secunda where we are constructing a Fine Ash Dam for Sasol who is the Client. It is a Mega project. I am overseeing two Penstock towers which are 40m in height.
