Why 3 industry leaders are taking Women of Steel beyond mentoring
GERMISTON — When the first 11 women completed SEIFSA’s leadership mentoring programme on 2 November, one of their mentors announced a way for those relationships to continue. Betterect chief executive Nicolette Skjoldhammer introduced the Women of Steel Forum at Komatsu Africa Holdings in Germiston. It will bring women working across metals and engineering companies together to seek advice from experienced industry leaders and, in turn, mentor colleagues earlier in their careers.
Skjoldhammer founded the forum with Bridget Ledwaba, managing director of Weir Minerals (Africa), and Pam du Plessis, managing director and chief executive of Invincible Valves. All three lead businesses in the sector. Skjoldhammer, who mentored participants in the pilot, said companies themselves have a stake in developing the people who could eventually lead them.
The skills gap inside the industry
Metal and engineering is the largest employer among the industries covered by merSETA’s 2025/26 Sector Skills Plan, accounting for nearly 255,000 employees. Across the sectors surveyed, women’s representation was strongest in clerical support, while men predominated in technical and leadership roles. Laura Harris, merSETA’s acting executive for strategy, research and reporting, told the gathering that employers concerned about skills shortages were overlooking a substantial part of the talent available to them.
The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) and Danish Industry launched the pilot in May. SEIFSA executives Vuyiswa Miya-Mokwana and Zizile Nyawo led the programme, which paired women with experienced mentors. At the closing ceremony, participants Vanessa Naidoo and Busi Khumalo spoke about their experiences alongside mentor Sylvester Makamu.
For SEIFSA chief executive Tafadzwa Chibanguza, the reason to continue mentoring beyond the first cohort is succession. “We need to make better use of the talent already in our businesses and create conditions in which that talent can stay and progress,” he said.
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