‘Strength is no obstacle’

File picture : Neil Baynes, Independent Media

File picture : Neil Baynes, Independent Media

Published Sep 21, 2016

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I've experienced the petro industry as both an employee and an employer. It is dominated by men, but I've never viewed that as a threat or limitation. I believe that the only thing that differentiates a man and woman is their physical strength. But I have never seen physical strength as a limitation to performing in the fuel industry, as women can put in an equal amount of effort as men in executing their duties.

I cannot think of any post or job that can be done only by males in the industry - from production to distribution.

Growing up, my father owned filling stations, and ran them successfully. I spent most of my time with him and our close relationship gave rise to my interest in his business.

I worked part-time as a petrol attendant in his filling station while at school. Upon completing my tertiary studies, I felt I needed to understand the corporate side of the industry. That led to me working for different petroleum companies, before I started Elegant Group with my partners.

From 1998 to 2001, I was employed by Caltex in various posts from an administrator to a sales executive. After that, I worked for Soutpansberg Petroleum in sales, marketing and different managerial positions till 2007.

Having acquired the knowledge and experience of the industry, my partners and I joined forces to form Elegant Fuel (now a subsidiary of Elegant Group), which currently operates in seven provinces in South Africa.

Considering all the experience I have gained, I don't think I would have done anything differently if I were a man. I worked alongside men in all my previous positions, but I wouldn't say they performed any better nor had an advantage by virtue of being male. We all had equal opportunity to be the best we could be.

My greatest challenge was probably being afforded the due respect, especially when I started out in the industry. Many women can attest to the fact that this lack of respect still exists today. But the only way to silence your critics is by performing well and equipping yourself with the necessary skills for career advancement.

No glass ceiling

There is no glass ceiling for women in the fuel industry.

As someone who is interested in gender-related issues, I would strongly argue against the notion that women in the petro-chemicals industry face more challenges than men.

I believe that your attitude determines your altitude. Positive attitude, perseverance and self-motivation are key to succeeding in your career, business or life. So if you let yourself be treated differently because you're a woman, then you will face challenges - and likely not grow in your career or business endeavour.

Glass ceiling aside, it is very important to have more women in the fuel industry, or any other sector for that matter. Firstly, women are good at problem-solving. Every business venture is aimed at solving a particular problem. In the process of running a business, there are problems that will be encountered. Having more women may prove beneficial due to their ability or skill in problem-solving.

Secondly, it has been proven that women are as innovative as men. Innovation is the basis for improvement in any industry. Having more women in the industry can make a difference and provide another perspective. Women are more adaptive while men take more risks - this balance is vital for innovation. They complement each other to yield better results.

Finally, women have good communication skills, which makes it easier for them to work with both men and women. The ability to communicate, in any industry, helps foster good working relationships between employer, managers and staff. This can improve morale, teamwork, productivity and efficiency as well as grow clientele. All these factors help to grow revenue and the image of the company.

Gender imbalance in the fuel industry needs to be rectified in order to pave the way for the youth, and to encourage young females' interest in the sector. This will help get rid of the perception that it is a male-dominated industry. I believe that the more training you receive, the more confidence you gain. Moreover, rectifying the gender imbalance may help women in the industry interrogate other gender-related issues, which they can set about changing.

At Elegant Fuel, we use affirmative action as one of our recruiting strategies to eliminate discrimination on the basis of colour, race, gender or nationality. So this neutralises male dominance as far as possible. However this is something we only started doing recently and it is still a work in progress.

We come from a society where women were expected to stay home, with no education and no paying jobs. Things have been gradually changing. Jobs which were once categorised as only suitable for men are now being performed by women.

Women want to financially liberate themselves and their families at all cost, even if it means doing physically-demanding jobs if they are not educated or cannot find other employment.

** Faith Modipa is a director at Elegant Group. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of IOL.

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