Cape Town - The founders of Zamava Construction and Projects: Drip Drop Plumbers, are determined to inspire young women to challenge gender stereotypes within male-dominated industries.
The company which started as a small business, rendering free services in Kagiso, has expanded into a business to be reckoned with.
In blue overalls, Thozama Gomba and Lwazi Lutya travel all around the country rendering services on small and large scale.
Co-founder of Drip Drop Plumbers, Gomba, said she was an advocate for women starting their own businesses in various sectors, and escaping their comfort zones. She said the fact that she and Lutya, had found their passion in a largely male-dominated industry, proved that women could do anything.
Gomba and Lutya had no experience in construction prior to 2016 and held retail jobs. It was only after obtaining a learnership, that they began to learn about construction and plumbing on-site. The municipal learnership quickly extended to a three-year apprenticeship, resulting in them obtaining their qualifications.
In an effort to gain first-hand experience, Zamava Construction and Projects started rendering free plumbing services in their hometown, Kagiso in Krugersdorp in 2019. As their skills developed, they began charging for their work and establishing clientele in different provinces. Their business quickly developed from fixing taps and toilets to eventually taking on bigger projects such as entire bathroom interior installations and renovations.
Lutya said that at first they would have men helping them with their projects until they decided to take a leap of faith and do the hard labour on their own.
“The idea of women having to be helped by male counterparts for physical labour needs to be done away with. I remember when we did our first bathroom alone without help, it was so liberating. Since then, we’ve never looked back.”
Gomba said that their journey in a male-dominated industry came with many challenges, but attributed their success to persistence and consistency.
“As women we always have to prove ourselves to men, we have to prove ourselves to bigger establishments, we have to prove ourselves to our mother’s who prefer ‘bra Joe’s’ to fix their households but what we love most is that we do it, and we do it well.”
Lutya said that women have the emotional and psychological strength to be able to for lead their own establishments. She emphasised that true strength was found in the mind and that with effort and positive thinking, so much can be done.
“God first in all you do and do not let anyone detour you from your dreams. Believe in it before anyone else and pray on it. Do it for yourself and keep on going despite obstacles.”
Weekend Argus