Edited by Megan O’Connor
Throughout August, Plumbing Africa is celebrating the women making their mark on the plumbing industry. From plumbers and business owners to leaders, specialists, educators and industry professionals, this series shines a light on the women whose skills, determination and experience are helping to shape the future of plumbing. Here, we shine a spotlight on Ashlar Matlonya – a confident and determined plumber who wants to expand female representation in the industry.
Ashlar did her training at BluLever Education and joined the plumbing industry in 2022 – this year marks her fifth year in the industry.
Originally, she aspired to become an electrician expert, and when she was doing her apprenticeship in electrical work, her opportunity to join BluLever came about.
“I didn’t know that plumbing was actually a career until I went to BluLever. I thought it was just something you grew up with, seeing your father do plumbing work around the house, and thinking that you also want to do it one day – not knowing that it is actually a skill that you go to school and learn about.”
She did her research on the plumbing industry, and when she came across the eye-opening statistic that only 3% of people in the plumbing industry around the globe are women, she decided to make the change to plumbing. “I wanted to be that change to show future generations that plumbing is not only for men – women can also thrive in the industry.”
Her decision to join the industry was also motivated by an incident that had happened near her grandmother’s house and involved a tragedy of a school child falling into a pit latrine. “I told myself there and then that I would be the change. There is something I can do about children falling into pit toilets as a plumber. As plumbers, we can create toilets that flush, lowering the risk of children falling into pits and removing the risks associated with that, such as death. I saw myself playing a role in children being able to use toilets when they were at school,” she says.
Further, since obtaining her Red Seal certificate, Ashlar is currently on a journey of opening up her own plumbing business – one that will
focus on hiring more women plumbers to balance out the high percentage of males in the industry. “I still advocate for females in the male-dominated industries, and I want to change the narrative – especially in the plumbing industry,” she says.
Ashlar recalls her funniest moment on the job being when they were called to a site to fix toilets, and the water was coming out of the toilet like rain. “We had to work on it, and we were super super wet – our boots were soaked and so were we. But we had to push on and do the job because that’s what we signed up for.”
| Ashlar’s advice to women looking at plumbing as a career
“My honest advice to women looking at getting into the industry is to have grit, because it is not easy – especially as a woman. The chances of surviving in the industry as a woman are much less, and I am thankful that my training included physical training before we were placed into real jobs. The physicality of the job is not easy – most jobs include strength, confined spaces and working at height. So, you just need to have grit and know that this is your passion, and that you are in it to win it.” |
As for her philosophy when it comes to plumbing? “Take all challenges that come your way as a stepping-stone, not your downfall. Every challenge is a learning opportunity, and the sky is the limit when it comes to learning in the plumbing industry.”
