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“Wathinta abafazi wathinta imbokodo.” (You Strike a Woman, You Strike a Rock)

Chanelling the famous rallying cry of the 20 000 brave women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria in 1956 to fight for freedom serves as a reminder for Engen’s Maphuthego Etu Maditsi of the enormous strength that women have.

“While Women’s Month is a way of celebrating the hard work, strength, and boldness of all women, more importantly it is also a poignant reminder of the love and kindness women give,” reflects Maphuthego.

The 24-year-old was raised in a small village called Ga-nkwana in Limpopo and later moved to Lebowakgomo where she matriculated from Derek Kobe Senior Secondary School, where her academic excellence secured her a place at North-West University to study a BSc degree in Computer Science and Electronics.

An Honours degree, achieved with distinction, followed. Not only was her research paper published but it was so well received that she was invited to present it at a conference in Australia.

Being the high achiever that she is, Maphuthego is currently completing her master’s degree in computer science.

Speaking out to mark Women’s Month, Maphuthego says her personal philosophy is: “Everything is possible, but all in good time.”

“But,” she cautions, “You need to dedicate yourself and put God first in everything you do, and don’t neglect yourself in the process.”

Thanks to Engen, Maphuthego has secured a place on the company’s prestigious 2-year Graduate Development Programme, working in the Enterprise, Risk & Assurance (ERA) division.

“I started my journey a few months ago and my experience so far has been amazing as I am so astonished by the level of support I have received from my team.

“The training provided has played a huge role in my skill development and Engen’s culture is so beautiful, with the company’s values really resonating with me.”

Maphuthego says a challenge she hopes to overcome is putting people’s needs before her own.  

“I need to find more balance to take care of myself and my loved ones, but I am a perfectionist which makes it difficult to find the peaceful existence I crave.”

What concerns her most about the world is how dominant social media is, especially in the lives of youth.

“I think the only way we can win this is by motivating people and reminding them about the importance of education, because education is the key to success, which is why I’m so grateful to be part of the Engen Graduate Programme.”

For Engen, Women’s Month is poignant time to acknowledge the talent and determination of talented women such as Maphuthego.

As a company that is passionate about progress and seeks to provide opportunities for talented young adults to explore new horizons, Engen’s Graduate Development Programme offers recent graduates, valuable work experience across a broad range of business functions.  

“The aim is to ensure that all participants emerge as highly employable individuals, bolstered by enhanced confidence, workplace experience, and a comprehensive understanding of working in teams,” says Engen Skills Development Manager, Mmalenyalo Galane.

Explains Galane further: “It is Engen’s ultimate reward to help set talented people up to pursue stimulating careers that won’t only benefit them personally, but also their families and the broader economy of South Africa.

“As a company, Engen is firmly committed to building tomorrow’s leaders and if we want to ensure that the youth of tomorrow are prepared for a rapidly changing world, we need to ensure that they have the right mix of skills for them to reach their full potential,” she adds.

In 2022, Engen invested R14.7million in Learnerships and Bursaries, along with a further R33 million in other social causes, such as its flagship CSI programme, the Engen Maths and Science Schools.

As a company, Engen champions nine UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5 – Gender Equality, which aims to end gender inequality through actions that eliminate discrimination that curtail women’s rights in both the private and public spheres.

Engen is keenly aware that equality is everybody’s business, and that it owes it to its employees, customers, and broader society to make every effort to drive positive change.

Engen salutes all the women of South Africa.

Issued by Engen