Flying high against all the odds
Being a woman in a mainly male-dominated industry is a feat in itself, but to be named as one of the 100 greatest women in the world in that industry is beyond impressive
POLOKWANE –Â That honour was bestowed upon Asnath Mahapa (36), born and raised in Rosenkrantz in Ga-Matlala, the first black woman in South Africa to become a commercial airline pilot.
“Since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of becoming a pilot and being able to fly the Boeing 747 for South African Airways. While I visited my aunt, I met her neighbour who was a pilot and I remember thinking to myself how can one person manage to fly such a big machine? That is when I decided that if someone else can do it, so can I. That was where the dream was born and I have never looked back since, all I wanted to do was fly,” Asnath remembers.
After she completed high school, she attended the University of Cape Town where she studied electrical engineering, a male-dominated field.
“Studying electrical engineering as a woman, there was a lot of pressure on me to perform well. I had to work extra hard to prove to them that I belonged in this field just as much as they did. My proudest moment was being part of the book, The 100 Greatest Women in Aviation in the World. Being internationally recognised was something I never expected would happen to me and I felt proud that my hard work had paid off in the best way possible.”
It is obvious that the mother of two has her hands full, but she is still determined to do more, especially for aspiring female pilots.
Mahapa now runs the African College of Aviation in Johannesburg, a feat she says she felt compelled to do.
“I have been a pilot for more than 15 years and I still see young women go through the same challenges I went through when I was doing my training. Having gone through those challenges myself, it only made sense to me that I was probably the best person to understand where they are coming from and to try and address their challenges using the experience I have. That’s how African College of Aviation was started. This way, women are free to come and ask for help and even do their training at the school,” she says. Although she spends most of her time flying and running the school, she still makes time for her family and recreation time.
Asnath’s advice to aspiring pilots is simple and straight to the point.
“You must study hard and believe in yourself and your abilities. It is important to never lose sight of your dreams. If you believe in yourself and you work hard to achieve your goals, nothing is impossible.”
