The painful death of her husband 12 years ago forced a hawker to change her “career”.
Nomawethu “MaGaba” Mdyolo said when her husband died in 2004 she had to look for a more stable job in order to survive with her five children.
It was then that she decided to get a driver’s licence.
“When I got my licence I started looking for jobs in various places hoping I would get some kind of formal employment, but as time went on I decided to ask for work as a taxi driver.
“I was ridiculed at first; a lot of people I told about my new plan did not take me seriously,” said Mdyolo.
However, she persevered, and today works as a taxi driver – although it is not always plain sailing.
“Even though we have won over the men in our taxi ranks, we still struggle to gain the trust of our commuters,” she said.
“They are still shocked when they find out that a female is driving them home. In some extreme cases we get male commuters who get out because they do not trust a female driver.”
August marks Women’s Month, with tomorrow being recognised as Women’s Day.
About 95% of workers in the taxi industry are male.
Many women in the industry perform administrative work for the taxi associations and rarely participate in driving.
“Women are needed in the taxi ranks. Women bring an element of calmness in an industry that has been characterised by violence over the years,” said Mdyolo. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
Painful loss drives ‘MaGaba’
Nomawethu “MaGaba” Mdyolo said when her husband died in 2004 she had to look for a more stable job in order to survive with her five children.
It was then that she decided to get a driver’s licence.
“When I got my licence I started looking for jobs in various places hoping I would get some kind of formal employment, but as time went on I decided to ask for work as a taxi driver.
“I was ridiculed at first; a lot of people I told about my new plan did not take me seriously,” said Mdyolo.
However, she persevered, and today works as a taxi driver – although it is not always plain sailing.
“Even though we have won over the men in our taxi ranks, we still struggle to gain the trust of our commuters,” she said.
“They are still shocked when they find out that a female is driving them home. In some extreme cases we get male commuters who get out because they do not trust a female driver.”
August marks Women’s Month, with tomorrow being recognised as Women’s Day.
About 95% of workers in the taxi industry are male.
Many women in the industry perform administrative work for the taxi associations and rarely participate in driving.
“Women are needed in the taxi ranks. Women bring an element of calmness in an industry that has been characterised by violence over the years,” said Mdyolo. — simthandilef@dispatch.co.za
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