{"id":119111,"date":"2018-07-27T22:53:44","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T20:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/women-power-at-engen-prepares-to-pay-it-forward\/"},"modified":"2018-07-27T22:53:44","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T20:53:44","slug":"women-power-at-engen-prepares-to-pay-it-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/women-power-at-engen-prepares-to-pay-it-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Women power at Engen prepares to pay it forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women power at Engen prepares to pay it forward<\/a>: <\/p>\n

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Nhlokomo Mhlophe has made significant strides to realise her ambition of becoming a \u201cstrong, independent black woman\u201d.<\/p>\n

Now, thanks to her place in Engen\u2019s Graduate Development Programme, she\u2019s preparing to focus on the second half of that goal \u2013 to empower other women like her.<\/p>\n

Speaking out to mark Women\u2019s Month, Mhlophe recalls how she was once among that majority who believe they\u2019re not enough \u2013 not good enough at sport, not clever enough, and not popular enough.<\/p>\n

Today she\u2019s a proud Bachelor of Commerce graduate of Rhodes University, and has a job in Engen\u2019s Enterprise, Risk and Assurance department in Cape Town.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring my school years, I lived between my father in Isipingo and my mother in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, attending school in Amanzimtoti.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut my family always stood behind me, including sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents. Without them I wouldn\u2019t be half the person I am today,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Mhlophe knows, however, that it was her own motivation that sent her in search of a spot in the Engen Maths and Science Schools (EMSS) programme at Mangosuthu University of Technology when she was still at high school, setting her life on its current trajectory.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to see the scholars coming out of the university and I wanted to know what they were doing. I asked someone one day and they told me all about the EMSS programme, so I decided to join too,\u201d she recalls, adding that the extra lessons proved crucial during her matric year.<\/p>\n

Internal Audit manager Bea Ndlovu, her mentor in Engen\u2019s Graduate Development Programme, has been another source of inspiration, providing her with support but also teaching her by example the value of good reasoning skills, and of critical analysis.<\/p>\n

The empowerment of black women is a top priority for Engen, according to Unathi Njokweni-Magida, head of Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement in the company\u2019s Corporate Strategy and Communication division, who says they are focused on integrating more women across the entire value chain.<\/p>\n

The statistics point to the success of the strategy, with a total 48% of Engen\u2019s retail dealerships now black, 10% of them women. The Engen board also comprises 45% black members, and the executive team 33% black women.<\/p>\n

On their commitment to education, Njokweni-Magida explains that Engen supports excellence and opportunity among the youth right from school and university level.<\/p>\n

Pointing to Mhlophe as an example, she says they are working actively to build a pipeline of black and female graduates, for the future good not only of the company, but the country as a whole.<\/p>\n

Mhlophe says she\u2019s proud to be an example in her neighbourhood that it is possible to break the status quo that sees youngsters believe that dropping out of school, teenage pregnancies and drug and alcohol use is all that\u2019s available to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day I will start a youth organisation to give back, to show them there is another way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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