“We make magic, we grow, and we glow,” goes the Women’s Day rallying call as Stephanie Williams, Leandra Badenhorst and Siphokazi Gcelu shine the spotlight on the limitless opportunities women have.
Stephanie Williams
Community Liaison Officer
Community Liaison Officer Stephanie Williams saw the opportunity to work in the renewable energy realm as a challenge, and she has been challenging herself to make a difference ever since.
“It was something new to me; I wanted to learn and explore more,” she said.
Working with the community of Laingsburg and engaging with the residents regularly, she sees the value of paying it forward and regards this as a crucial part of her job in an area with few opportunities.
“It’s about giving back as we are a small community that lacks so much opportunity, and Red Rocket is giving so much back to my local community.
“Being in this industry has thought me how to grow, how to step out of my comfort zone and the most for fulling part is ploughing back into my community,” she said, adding that her favourite part about working with the community is the respect and trust that exist between her and the residents.
“It is heart-warming to give back to my people.”
With women’s opportunities being an area that she takes care to address in her capacity, she ensures that she communicates the limitless power women have in uplifting their communities and transforming every sector they fill. This is a lesson she recalls learning from her mother who instilled passion in her and taught her to never give up.
“As the women of this country, we are unstoppable irrespective of what field we occupy. We are warriors; we take on anything and we make it work. We make magic, we grow, and we glow,” she said, adding that women should seek any opportunity if they wish to succeed.
“Never back down. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You go out there and grab any opportunity that is coming your way and never stop learning.”
Leandra Badenhorst
Performance and Monitoring Analyst
What drives Leandra Badenhorst is the sense of accomplishment knowing that she is playing a role in helping our country and its industries with more sustainable and clean energy solutions.
As a Performance and Monitoring Analyst at Red Rocket, Leandra’s journey with our organisation began over 10 years ago at our Kathu Solar plant, helping its progress before transitioning to the Mothership to take up her current role.
“I first got introduced to the technologies when I finished university. I was very fortunate to land an interview at Kathu Solar right out of university when I applied at the recruiting company that had just got contracted by them back in 2013.
“After that, I started researching everything I could about solar PV and got hooked on the green approach to saving our country’s energy crisis,” she said.
This dedication to make a difference has stayed with her as she is now the female force in our Operations and Maintenance team who credits the normalisation of gender equality in professional spaces for women’s successes.
“I feel that women in this industry can achieve the greatest heights in their own personal goals and the goals of their companies by enabling them to show the strength and wealth of knowledge that has been, for lack of a better word, ‘suppressed’ in earlier years.”
For those who have it in them to make a difference using the power of nature’s technologies, her message is simple, “just go for it and give your all”. This has been the same mission she has employed with great success in her own career path.
“No matter what role you find yourself playing in the industry, big or small, you are making a difference,” she said.
Siphokazi Gcelu
Planner
Siphokazi Gcelu is passionate about sustainability and the future of the planet, but while she enjoys working in renewable energy, the opportunity to work on the construction side of things came “as a surprise”.
Before being a Planner in the Project, Procurement and Construction Management Wind team at Red Rocket, she made many strides in other areas such as mining and port operations, broadcasting, oil and gas, finance and IT with her heart always rooted in driving sustainable practices.
“Anything built around sustainability is the future,” she said, adding that the culture of our organisation, enriched by the collaboration between our teams, makes the journey worthwhile.
“Through collaboration, you’re in a better position to give advice as to whether things will be done on time, so you need to advise on those decisions.”
As a woman in what she sees as a male-dominated industry, Siphokazi takes pride in the shift that has resulted in women being in spaces such as construction and changing the narrative around women’s possibilities.
“Even to a girl child, that says there is a career to explore. Being part of renewable energy means one is part of something great because the world is looking at sustainable projects as the way for a better future for all.”
About the role of women in the renewable energy industry, it boils down to innovation and the opportunity to add different perspectives to the industry due to diversity, she said.
“We’ve seen women in construction, that says to them that there are careers in in the field. It is very diverse and one doesn’t need to only do construction-heavy work to have a career in the field.”
