Women navigating careers at sea

When Nomava Sipendu was in Grade 10 at Manzomthombo Secondary School in Mfuleni she attended a career exhibition which set her on course for a career at sea.

Ms Sipendu, 36, spent the rest of her schooling working to ensure she qualified for maritime studies.

“From that day I decided that I wanted to do this. I would try to find out what I needed,” said Ms Sipendu who is now a maritime pilot at Transnet in Cape Town.

She said after finishing her maritime studies, she got an internship at Transnet where she spent time training out at sea.

“Out there you learn a lot of things like how to take care of the containers, cargo, the crew and how to maintain the vessel. You also need to take short courses that will help you to help the next person when you are out there at sea, like firefighting, First Aid and knowing how to communicate when there is something happening on board.”

She said when she came back from training she did her oral exams to obtain a class three ticket, after which she became a tug master at Transnet, a job which she loved.

“While I was a tug master I saw that there was another opportunity for me to pursue; being a marine pilot was the next step for me. So I started my training in July 2022 and I became a qualified pilot in January 2024.”

Ms Sipendu said when she chose her career in the maritime field nobody in her family understood what wanted to do, as she was born in the rural Eastern Cape and went to primary and high school in the township.

She said parents often only understand traditional careers such as teaching, nursing and going into the police service.

“I tried to explain to them what I am doing at work, until one day I brought them to work to show them that this is what I do.”

She said some challenges she faces at work is that it is a male-dominated industry and people underestimate her because she is short.

“I am a very short person, people look at you as if they are wondering how is this person going to be responsible for my life. When you become a pilot you are actually responsible for most of the people you are working with, you are leading a team. Whatever order you give, you must be mindful of what could happen. People will doubt you if you are tiny and a black female until you do the job and they see what you are capable of.”

She said as a black woman pilot it is important to have confidence in your work and go the extra mile in order to be seen and respected in the industry.

She said her background gives her courage to be who she is today.

“Growing up my father was mentally challenged. People would look at you and think you're not going to become anything. I've been this person who has been proving to people that it doesn't matter where you come from. As long as you are focused on what you want, you can achieve anything. So I come from a family where people look at your father and say there is no way that he can give birth to normal kids, there are so many things that society will label you with. But for me, hearing all these things motivated me to believe that I can do something better with my life. Giving up and doubting myself was not an option for me,” said Ms Sipendu.

She said navigating the waters is everything to her, and she celebrates each time she finishes docking the ship at the harbour, as it excites her knowing that she is safe and earning income for the company she is working for. And it's proof that women can do the job.

Another woman at sea is Shuneen van Niekerk, 32, who is a tug master.

She said growing up in Atlantis she had no idea that she would ended up in the maritime field as her childhood dream was to be a lawyer.

This changed when she was in Grade 9 when Transnet visited her school and said they were looking for students to award bursaries to which would enable them to attend Simon’s Town High School.

“I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and I didn’t know about seagoing careers. I accepted the bursary and did my Grade 10 to 12 at Simon’s Town High School where I learned more about sea careers.”

She said in her job, safety is the main priority as the weather can be unpredictable, affecting the ships coming to dock.

“What motivates me about my job is that I am a female, secondly there are not many coloured females in this job. Another inspiration while I was still at school in Simon’s Town there was a female who was a first engineer and there was a first female captain as well.”

Ms Van Niekerk said her job has given her the opportunity to explore the world. She has travelled to Antarctica, India and had the privilege of meeting the then Prince Charles, who is now the king of the United Kingdom.

“The best thing out of all this coming from school and training was to travel and see the world while you are at work, basically for free” said Ms Van Niekerk.

She said she herself is growing further in her industry as there are more opportunities beyond tug master. She urged young girls to grab opportunities and explore careers at sea.