Life on a wind farm in Springbok as a woman in engineering

Kangnas Wind Farm Plant Manager, in Springbok in the Northern Cape, Brenda Sidaki, is one of a handful of women engineers heading this male dominated industry. In a recent interview with Radio NFM, she discussed why she chose this career and found herself leading this utility scale wind farm.

​1. How did you end up at Kangnas Wind Farm?

I received my Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology, my B-Tech at UNISA and my postgraduate in Management at the North West University.

I began my career at Eskom as a P1 and P2 student trainee and worked my way up to become a Technician, then a Senior Technician, and later a Manager in different departments. I also completed my Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) for factories with the Department of Labour, working for the energy-producing company.

I began my career at Eskom as a P1 and P2 student trainee and worked my way up to become a Technician, then a Senior Technician, and later a Manager in different departments. I also completed my Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) for factories with the Department of Labour, working for the energy-producing company.

​2. Why did you pursue engineering?

As a student who excelled in maths and science in high school, and having received a sponsorship from an engineering company, I felt that engineering was something I was born to do. Growing up, I also helped my father fix vehicles and tractors, which inspired me to pursue this career path.

​3. Describe your previous working experience being a female engineer.

During the early stages of your career, you need to work harder than your male counterparts. You have to deal with a lot more challenges because you are a woman in this male-dominated field, however, this varies from place to place, so learning your area’s challenges is important