As South Africa marks Women’s Month, the conversation around women in manufacturing is about far more than representation. It is also about skills, opportunity and the future resilience of our industrial economy.
In a recent opinion piece published by IOL, PtSA Group CEO Tapiwa Samanga highlights the important role women can play in addressing one of the tooling sector’s most pressing challenges: the shortage of skilled Toolmakers.
Drawing on the journeys of women who have built careers and businesses within South Africa’s tooling and manufacturing sector, the article demonstrates what is possible when talent is supported through training, mentorship, funding and meaningful industry opportunities.
From PtSA-trained Toolmakers progressing into international manufacturing environments to women establishing their own precision engineering businesses, these stories reinforce an important message: developing female talent is not simply about inclusion. It is an important part of building the skilled workforce South African manufacturing needs for the future.
As Tapiwa writes, South Africa cannot address a structural skills shortage while drawing from only half of its potential talent pool.
Read the full article on IOL: Seventy Years On: Building Resilient Economies Through Women in Tooling
