Eva-Last celebrates women in the building materials industry The construction, building materials and engineering fields have for years carried with them the stigma of being male-dominated industries. For three women working at building materials group Eva-Last, however, passion is purpose and outdated perceptions will not stand in their way. 

Shelley Galliver, Eva-Last’s marketing director, has more than two decades experience in the building materials industry and says the relatively specialised nature of the industry has worked in her favour. “Building materials is a niche market, so if you can grow your profile and credentials in the industry, there are opportunities out there.” 

Galliver obtained a degree in marketing and started her career in various positions at PG Bison before becoming a brand manager. “That was where I found my lane – I just loved my job because it required a deep understanding of all aspects of the product, including technical and production, to better market the offering. I was soon overseeing most of the company’s brand portfolio.” 

Moving to Alpha Cement, as a marketing manager, she expanded her responsibilities from brand management to full marketing management; first in a division and ultimately across the whole business; and then to the Dawn Group – as marketing director for brands such as Cobra taps and mixers and other strategic marketing director roles in the group. Galliver then took a brief sidestep into explosives with Maxam. “By that stage I had developed a real love and passion for building materials, so when Eva-Last came calling I was ready to move back into the industry.” 

Throughout her career Galliver has worked in male-dominated workplaces, and she believes some companies can make the mistake of reinforcing perceptions about the gender divide even when they set out to address workplace equality. “By hiring men for technical positions and women for less hands-on work, barriers can remain in place. It’s really about what you can do in the role. I can honestly say that, given the opportunities I was given, if you are competent, confident and can demonstrate that you’re there to add value, you are treated equally.” 

Working in marketing has provided a double barrier to being taken seriously. “A lot of people don’t understand the strategic role of marketing. Once they see that you understand all aspects of the business and can help drive strategy, you quickly gain their respect. Anyone in a technical field – even in marketing – has to understand the various routes to market and the different requirements of the channels to be able to market their products or brands effectively. This is what I find exciting about the industry – it is so diversified, you are marketing your brand to people who are often not your direct customers, but whose needs must be understood for your brand to be the product of choice,” says Galliver. 

Nikita Norman, Eva-Last’s Durban branch manager, says from high school to her family’s technical leanings – even including completing a welding course during her studies – made her aspire to study engineering or architecture. A qualification in architectural draughting got her into the company in its early days. “I was one of the first women here and we all had to fill many roles at once. I was draughting for project installations while also working up new decking board profiles and clips, while also being involved in sales. I’d also pick up phones and handle walk-in customers, which made me work on parts of my personality to become better at sales.” 

Like Galliver, Norman loved being at the centre of the business. “From architecture to sales is quite a move, but it meant I had to understand the business and our products intimately. I needed to be able to answer any questions a customer might have. Many people think women are not technically inclined, but my sister is an engineer and I believe women should not allow themselves to be steered by the attitudes of others. It can be challenging to work in this industry, but we have an all-female team of three here in Durban and for the most part our contractors and customers simply want someone who is technically minded and can solve their problems.” 

Norman says a passion for the products she works with goes a long way. “The company is vibrant and has a lot of momentum and innovative sparkle. The industry in general is also evolving very quickly in terms of the products being developed and how architects are putting them to use. To be at the forefront of technical developments in the industry is exciting and would hate to have missed that opportunity by taking a ‘safer’ route in my career.” 

Caitlynne Collender, a research and design product manager at Eva-Last, also took the draughting route into the industry and has remained on the technical development side rather than sales. “I started helping to draw up new products, which became my main focus rather than project designs. I worked directly with the research and development team, bringing in new technologies, and we have been changing the industry with our patents, which is very exciting.” 

Intimately involved in the development of Eva-Last’s Hulk fasteners range, Collender says she also benefited from a family used to designing and building things. “My dad is very hands-on. I grew up around yachts and boats, fixing and building things. I was also friends with many people who worked in technical trades, and draughting is one of my core passions. The company lets me do just that and provides the tools for me to do it, so I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve also worked with many men who have daughters, so they’ve always been comfortable around women.” 

It hasn’t always been that way. “When I showed up to register for a technical college course, the man who would go on to be my teacher asked me if I was there to register my husband. That stank. Then I was also overlooked at graduation where all my male peers who received fewer distinctions than I did were celebrated. I think the industry is catching up and making things right, and we are seeing fewer women pigeon-holed into roles. The women at Eva-Last are raring to take opportunities and run with them,” Collender says. 

Advice from the Eva-Last team is to not take a backseat. “Be willing to get involved and understand all the technical aspects of the business and product. That’s the baseline for being able to work with highly technical people in engineering teams. You need to speak their language,” says Galliver. 

“Never give up. If you have a passion for a technical field, just forge ahead. You need to take chances because this is a rewarding and interesting field,” says Norman. “Don’t listen to anyone else – if you get a gap, take it and do what you need to do. You can learn many things online and upskill yourself without depending on others who might slow you down. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I have been given, but remember to speak up for yourself,” Collender adds.  

As we celebrate Women’s Month this August, we raise our hard hats to recognize and celebrate all Concor women and the exceptional work that they do daily. A special mention goes to Concor women working at opencast mining sites. A team of passionate and brave women is crushing stereotypes in a male-dominated industry.

At the heart of one such site, are 13 dump truck operators who operate the CAT 777, Komatsu 785 dump trucks and track dozers, some of which stands a massive 90 tonne.

Mmola Langa is dwarfed by one of these gigantic machines that she operates on a 10-hour shift, five days a week. “I love my job and the enormous work I am able to do with the Komatsu Dump Truck. These big machines have become a part of my life and I enjoy time alone during the shift. As I operate the 777 Dump Truck, either dumping or moving substances to where they are required, I get quality time to think about life and my future”, she said.

Just like most of the operators on site, Langa underwent an operator training program and received on-the-job training before becoming a certified operator. 

"I encourage other women, especially young ladies to consider our field of work and not be intimidated by the size of the machines”, says Sarah Mashaba, a team member.

The women showed great love and passion for their work but like any other job or industry, they face many challenges daily.

• Language barriers make it difficult for people from different ethnic groups to work together effectively. "Broken communication and misunderstanding slow down productivity and can even cause accidents", says Florence Matjiu, a dispatcher.
• Some men still doubt the abilities of women and think they are more experienced and better at operating large machines than women. “Men like to overpower us and take control, they do not trust our abilities, especially when it comes to reversing the trucks”, says Fortunate Mnguni. 

“We have no room for failure but room for the next attempt. We fight for success until we achieve it, then make it a habit. We are exceptional women and by obtaining competency in operating big machines such as the Komatsu 777 Dump Trucks and Track Dozers, we have made history at Concor. With power, strength, and patience – we overcame obstacles and we conquered. We are extraordinary women #BerekaMosadi”, a message from the group of Concor women.

“The strength of these women is incomparable, and they hold so much resilience. Organizations need to make time to appreciate women, to motivate and encourage the young ones to be resilient, to reaffirm them and support ongoing training and development”, says Donique de Figueredo, Employee Engagement Manager at Concor.

-- END --

This article was published by Archy Hlahla, Hlengani Communications on behalf of Concor Construction. 

Devan Moonsamy, CEO of The ICHAF Training Institute

As we turn our attention to Women’s Day this week, we should consider how far we have come in helping women and girls reach a more secure and empowered situation. What are some of the initiatives being conducted for women and girls?

I am closely involved with the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) of South Africa in my work as a trainer and manager. All SETAs are concerned with education and they all strive to priorities women and people with disabilities in their activities.

The great thing about working with the SETAs is that they ensure training companies meet quality and equity standards. If a company offers SETA-accredited training, you can be confident it will make a real difference to trainees and interns. So how do the SETAs help women?

We can look to the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) for examples of some excellent initiatives. The PSETA focuses on training public servants and it’s very important that we have equitable representation within the public service so that a variety of voices are heard and taken into account into the everyday governing of the nation. The same is of course true for all the SETAs.

Many companies hold the Cell C “Take a Girl Child to Work Day”, which has been going strong for 17 years! This year 700 organisations took part. This year’s theme was “Facing Fear, Embracing Ambition”. The event gives learners the opportunity to gain exposure in the workplace, and they are also assisted in planning their future career. Thus these girls have a wonderful opportunity to get to know what really goes on in the working world, something schooling systems have long not really addressed.

Companies need not wait for “Take a Girl Child to Work Day” each year, or focus only on girls. Women, people with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds should also be given an opportunity, even if only for one day, to gain insight into the working world. Sometimes they lack confidence or exposure and just need a window into the possibilities open to them. Being in an office environment and observing business executives and managers in action in the workplace can give a person more confidence in entering this world.

Many business operations and processes can be explained and observed so that people will better understand what will be expected of them in the workplace, and how various business departments and professionals work in unison. It can trigger their interest in a certain profession and help them upskill themselves to fit that role.

Why not use this Women’s Day to bring women from disadvantaged backgrounds into your workplace and show them how your company operates and discuss the types of skills your company needs? (Similar initiatives can be held on World Disability Day on 3 December, SA Youth Day on 16 November, etc.)

This is just the beginning, however. With confidence-building comes the desire to act on one’s dreams. Training makes many dreams come true such as financial independence, self-actualisation, career satisfaction, and the ability to pay it forward.

There are a number of ways to do this. I will focus on the role of Further Education and Training (FETC) specifically. FETC is important because it hones specific skills needed in specific occupations. There are so many FETC accredited courses which ensure that professionals in all types of industries know their duties and follow correct procedures. This is for everything from insurance brokers to occupational safety and HIV/AIDS awareness training.

FETC colleges are great because they give women so much scope to explore the field that most interested in. If done as part of accredited staff training, it comes with SARS tax incentives so that companies’ expenditure on training ends up being very low. Accredited training companies can offer training which pretty much pays for itself.

Some important skills for women and girls to learn are in IT and computer use, particularly Microsoft (MS) programs and also coding. Concern has been expressed that the more male-dominated fields, including IT, can lead to women’s needs being neglected. This is because technology now pervades almost every facet of our existence but women’s needs can differ, while men might not realise that they have not taken this into account in their algorithms and coding. If too few women are involved in IT, it will disadvantage them.

There are thus initiatives such as “Girls Who Code”. These and other STEM-related initiatives and training show women and girls that they don’t need to be stuck in archaic roles where they are beholden to others and have little decision-making power.

One of the most awesome PSETA initiatives is “Help a Learner Apply” whereby people are assisted in applying at education institutions. Training companies also often come into the workplace at the application stage so that staff and managers are taken through the process and everything goes smoothly.

A critical IT foundation is office-related technology. Training in the MS office suite is very useful and helps people work faster, stay organised, and present their work in a more professional manner. Programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, web browsers, and similar programs do need to be taught at some stage, whether at school or in the workplace. In-depth MS training makes for very efficient and confident employees and it should be noted that women tend to dominate in administrative roles.

Employees who struggle to use the tools available will be less productive and stressed. Sadly, companies do still neglect staff training and have too high expectations of employees, placing them in roles they are not equipped for. There is also a perception that youths know everything about IT. This is not true. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially girls, do not have as much access to technology. They are most in need of employment, but they do need training.

Devan Moonsamy runs the ICHAF Training Institute, and he is the author of Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us, available from the ICHAF Training Institute.

The book tackles contemporary issues in the South African workplace, including a variety of diversity-related challenges and how these can be addressed. It is an excellent guide for managers to harnessing diversity for success.

ICHAF offers SETA-approved training in business skills, computer use, and soft skills. Devan specialises in conflict and diversity management, and regularly conducts seminars on these issues for corporates. To book a seminar with Devan or for other training courses, please use the contact details below.

Tel: 011 262 2461 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Website: www.ichaftraining.co.za | www.devan-moonsamy.com 

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