Phindile Sithole, one of 16 female bulk truck operators employed by Engen says that while she fully supports Engen’s drive to secure a more gender-balanced world, she always knew that she wanted to be a truck driver and nothing was going to stand in the way of her achieving her dream.

As a professional driver who often has to work long hours, Phindile says she feels honoured to have received the opportunity to work for Engen and enjoys every one of her shifts. 

“Believe it or not, I love the sound that trucks make and their size,” she says.

Engen’s Head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement, Unathi Njokweni-Magida believes it is incumbent upon large corporations to address the ‘barrier’ that continues to exclude emerging black, and especially black female talent. 

“Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive. It’s not only a gender issue but a business issue which is why women empowerment and transformation is at the core of every part of our operations and forms a critical part of our business plan,” she says.

Phindile’s journey is just one of many inspirational Engen stories that will be shared as part of a new TV series which aims to create a positive narrative around South Africa’s success stories.  The SA INC. TV series which launches on 7 April is a partnership between Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), Brand South Africa and producers, Regency Global.

"The future is definitely exciting for our industry and the theme for this year's International Women's Day, #BalanceforBetter, resonates particularly with Engen as a company, since we make an effort to strive towards balance across the entire value chain of our business, " adds Njokweni-Magida.

Engen salutes all the women and men who are helping to close gender gaps in the world by empowering women in the economy.

Post your #IWD2019 message on social media with your "hands out" balance pose for a strong call-to-action for others to also help forge a #BalanceforBetter.

To watch Phindile’s story please visit the website and the following hashtags: #JourneyWithEngen #BusinessBelieves #SAINC #awesomesouthafrica #sustainability #livesouthafrica #weheartsa