A South-African female engineer has become an inspiration for other women looking to succeed in fields dominated by men after photos of her constructing a house went viral on social media.
Last month, South Africa celebrated Women’s Month. In the same month, a 26-year-old woman from Pietermaritzburg became the unlikely poster girl for this year’s celebration, after photos of her single-handedly working on her house went viral on social media.
The pictures showed the woman preparing the cement, making all the measurements, and stacking the building blocks all by herself, which not only won her a lot of hearts but also empowered other women to follow their dreams no matter what the situation is.
She did civil engineering & her name is Zama Philisiwe Zungu. She inherited the passion for construction from her father, who is also a builder. She made the decision to become an engineer in 2014, enrolling at the Umgungundlovu TVET College in her home city.
Zama said that she had never worked in construction before, but the practical exams she had passed during college gave her the confidence that she could build her house by herself.
Zama has a dream to own her construction company and plans to empower more women in the engineering industry.
Upon asking what she would advise to other women, she said, “Always put your best in everything that you do and never underestimate the power of putting out your heart in what you do. One should always seek to improve and empower themselves and grow with every passing day,” Zungu advised other women.