Meet the Miss SA Finalist, Pilot, Doctor and 3 Other Amazing SA Women Who Defied the Odds to Become Successful
- Women are phenomenal and capable of doing anything they set their minds to, whether that may be flying aeroplanes or becoming Mzansi's youngest active female doctor
- Many ladies in South Africa are forced to defy various odds to achieve their dreams and become trailblazers in their respective fields
- Briefly News reflects on six extraordinary women who are iconoclasts in their sectors; these ladies are doctors, authors, pilots, formidable journalists and more
PAY ATTENTION: Celebrate South African innovators, leaders and trailblazers with us! Click to check out Women of Wonder 2022 by Briefly News!
“Women are the real architects of society.”
Renowned American author Harriet Beecher Stowe once uttered these words, and although she passed on in 1896, her words ring more accurately today than they ever had before.
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Women are formidable and capable of doing anything they set their minds to, whether that means thriving as doctors, authors or even hot air balloon pilots!
As part of the Briefly News Women of Wonder project, we reflect on the successes of Fatima Jakoet, Naledi Mashishi, Semakaleng Malau-Mathebula, Thabiso Mahlape, Thakgalo Thibela and Boipelo Mabe.
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These ladies went from grass to grace and needed to conquer many obstacles to succeed.
1. Fatima Jakoet – First Muslim female commercial pilot in South Africa
Fatima Jakoet is a true inspiration to little girls everywhere, especially young Muslim girls and women who proudly wear their hijabs (head scarves) and dress modestly.
In 2005, Jakoet became the first Muslim woman to ever work as a commercial pilot in South Africa, with the strong woman never allowing the prejudice of others to get in her way.
According to Coloured South Africa, the lovely lady, who grew up in Wellington, Western Cape, always had big dreams and would often sit in her yard, looking at the sky for Boeings that flew by.
Briefly News reported that Jakoet founded Sakhikamva, a non-profit organisation that helps youngsters from disadvantaged communities interested in the aerospace industry.
Jakoet has accomplished so much and keeps proving that the sky is not the limit!
2. Thakgalo Thibela – South Africa's youngest female doctor
Mpumalanga-born Thakgalo Thibela is proof that age is just a number and that anything is possible with hard work and dedication!
When the young woman was only 15, she matriculated and started studying towards her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2016, Sowetan LIVE reported.
However, despite obtaining a bursary and good grades, things were not all sunshine and roses for the young medical student.
Thibela was mocked and bullied by her classmates because of how she pronounced certain words, True Love Magazine wrote.
Despite all the pain, the dedicated lady still managed to excel academically and became South Africa's youngest female doctor at 21 in 2020, Briefly News reported.
3. Naledi Mashishi – Author and former researcher at Africa Check
Naledi Mashishi from Johannesburg is passionate about finding the truth, even when that may be hard to do sometimes.
The young woman studied journalism at top South African institutions.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rhodes and her Honours of Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Mashishi started her career by interning at Reuters before bagging an opportunity to work as a researcher at Africa Check.
Briefly News previously reported that Mashisi was named on Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list and celebrated a big win with her novel.
She is pursuing her Master of Science in Global Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
4. Semakaleng Malau-Mathebula – Mzansi’s first hot air balloon pilot
Semakaleng Malau-Mathebula is conquering the male-dominated hot air balloon industry and is super proud of the strides she's already made!
The 27-year-old woman from Midrand is the first black woman to become a qualified hot air balloon pilot, with her achievement impressing many.
In a previous interview with Briefly News, Malau-Mathebula explained that achieving her dream wasn't easy, especially with few female role models in the industry:
“Self-doubt is a feeling that creeps in, often at times where a confident and focused persona is required.”
The young woman was also named for her determination on the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list.
5. Thabiso Mahlape – Founder of Blackbird Books
Award-winning publisher Thabiso Mahlape is the founder of South Africa's first black-owned mainstream publishing house, DRUM Magazine reported.
The Mzansi woman started the publishing company in 2015 and has always loved telling inspiring African stories.
In a previous interview with Briefly News, Mahlape noted that she's always known she wanted a career that involved the written word:
"I loved the feeling of getting lost in the world that was outside of the world that you live in.
"Even when I finished matric, I knew I wanted a career that would allow me to play with words.”
But the successful woman didn't have an easy childhood and told Briefly News that losing her mom at 12 remains one of the most significant obstacles she's had to overcome.
6. Boipelo Mabe – Corporate trailblazer, Miss SA finalist and more
Boipelo Mabe wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but despite various challenges, she succeeded.
Mabe is a senior content marketing specialist of brand strategy at FNB, who had humble beginnings in Alexander, with her dad being a taxi driver.
Briefly News previously noted that the young woman had no stable home, with her family moving around a lot.
But despite everything, Mabe was a Miss SA finalist in 2017, a news presenter and obtained a stellar education at the University of the Witwatersrand, bagging an Honours degree in Developmental Studies.
She is inspiring and an excellent example of a dedicated lady who went from rags to riches!
Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder aims to inspire women
Briefly News wants to celebrate the female changemakers of 2022 by honouring a few influential, inspiring women.
The team looked for women who made a success despite some tough challenges they faced in their respective sectors.
Our goal is to create inspirational content that shows our audience what the embodiment of a resilient and strong South African woman is.
Briefly News hopes to motivate other women to go beyond their limits.
If you want to participate in our next special project or be featured in one of Briefly News' women empowerment articles, please email contact@briefly.co.za with Women Empowerment in the subject line.
Meet Lemmuela Dhladhla, banker, Gqom artist and DJ from Cape Town whose mom inspired her love of performing
In a related story, Briefly News also wrote about a talented woman who knows what she wants in life, grinding hard as a banker during the day-time while pursuing her love of music on the weekend and after hours.
Talking to Briefly News, the talented babe opened up about her career highlights and the challenges she's faced along her journey.
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Source: Briefly News
