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 Gloria Mphela – a woman in the industry who owns a plumbing company.
Gloria Mphela. Supplied by Gloria Mphela
Gloria Mphela currently works for a corporate company on a full time basis, and is currently in the planning phase of concentrating on plumbing full-time.
In 2000, Gloria and her father registered a plumbing company together called FP Frans Plumbers in Polokwane, and in 2004 Gloria’s interest in plumbing and business ventures intensified resulting in her decision to start going on site. After starting to go on site, Gloria completed her plumbing theory training online through Alison so that she could gain more knowledge and understanding of the theory behind plumbing.
Originally, Gloria had wanted to be an IT professional, but her interest in plumbing grew because she wanted to build a legacy for her family and follow in her father’s footprints. “I wanted to something that is extraordinary and challenging,” she emphasises as part of her journey into the industry. After the passing of her father in 2019, Gloria decided to use her own company, Maglozana (Pty) Ltd to carry on the work that her and her father had started.
When asked what she would say to anyone interested in plumbing as a career, Gloria explains “Plumbing is recession-proof and always in demand – and you can make a comfortable living through your career.”
Her funniest moment on the job
“We had a call-out for a blockage at one of the petrol stations in Polokwane, and after several attempts, we noticed that there was a frog in the drain lines!” says Gloria.
| Gloria’s advice to women looking at plumbing as a career
There are numerous paths one can take to advance their career in plumbing – for example, you can choose to specialise in certain areas like green plumbing technologies that focus on water conservation, or even own a company.
Plumbers can generally maintain a healthy work-life balance. |
As for her philosophy when it comes to plumbing? “As plumbers, we control the flow.”
