How a female crane operator in South Africa became a star

In her own way, Zoliswa Gila is a star. She is the sole female South African working as a crane operator. At the moment, she is driving one of the seven cranes being used for the construction of the new Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. It is one of the arenas where the matches of the 2010 Football World Cup will be held.

Gila applied for the job three years ago. Of a total of 200 applicants, 16 men and four women were asked to take the final exam. Afterward, she finished a course on crane theory and six-weeks of practical training.

“I did it!” she said proudly. “How often did I hear that this is purely a man’s job.” But now she represents the limitless possibilities in the new South Africa, even if she is one of only a few women who have made inroads into traditional male domains.

Even President Jacob Zuma personally congratulated her recently for her achievement when he visited the stadium. “He said how proud he is of me and that he had seen me on television,” said Gila. Zuma acknowledged not only the construction workers’ dedication but also the historic chance for South Africa to prove itself a “capable nation.”

“I am very thankful for the training and the necessary experience that allows me to operate cranes and work everywhere,” she added. “But honestly speaking, I had expected better pay with this career due to the responsibility that comes with the job. The government should urgently see to it that they set a reasonable minimum wage.”

Average incomes are low; many South Africans cannot afford the expensive tickets to the matches. They hope that FIFA will rethink their pricing policies, tailored to the more affluent regions of the world. At the Confederation Cup, the cheapest tickets cost the equivalent of €14.

“A football fan in South Africa is a very loyal but poor person,” one reader wrote to the daily Cape Times. “This person earns just a little more than 1,000 rand per month (€90). The prospect of seeing a live football match continually eludes him but remains a distant possibility.”

Article published in the African Times August 2009
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