By Megan O’Connor
Throughout August, Plumbing Africa is celebrating the women making their mark on the plumbing industry.
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- Refilwe Modise. All images supplied by Refilwe Modise
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 Refilwe Modise – a final-year student who always knew she wanted a hands-on, physical career.
Refilwe, a final-year apprentice is not new to the industry – she started learning the theory of Plumbing in Grade 10, and continued learning it until she matriculated. Following matriculation, she then went to central Johannesburg TVET college, later joining BluLever education for her apprenticeship. She currently works at The Plumbing Lady in Constantia Park, Pretoria East.
“I wouldn’t say that I always knew I wanted to be a plumber,” says Refilwe. “But I knew that I wanted a career that would include physical work and the opportunity to work with my hands. Plumbing allows me to do the hands-on work, and through it, I have learnt that plumbing is a timeless skill that requires me to come up with solutions.”
For Refilwe, it hasn’t always been easy to be a woman in the industry. “The strangest thing to ever happen to me at a job was when my previous supervisor told me that I won’t be a plumber because I’m a woman and because I wear glasses – a very strange thing to say I think.”
Despite the challenges, Refilwe persists and continues to carry on building towards her qualification.
| Refilwe’s advice to women looking at plumbing as a career
“Be mentally prepared to deal with difficult situations, and be prepared to have your body physically challenged.” |
