Women in South Africa are making significant inroads into the industrial equipment and material handling industry as forklift technicians. CFAO Equipment is spearheading efforts to attract women into this technical role.

CFAO Equipment’s Learning and Development Manager, Pumza Sikaka, says the percentage of women in the company’s forklift apprenticeship programme has risen to 27% since 2022. “While we are incredibly proud of the increase in representation, we aim to increase the percentage of women to 50% in the coming years.”

Women have embraced the forklift technician role, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism, a strong work ethic, exceptional attention to detail and strong communication skills.

The company’s four-year forklift technician apprenticeship programme is a combination of theoretical classroom training and practical on-site training, with apprentices learning every aspect of forklift maintenance and repair. Modules cover everything from mechanical and electrical components, to hydraulics and internal combustion.

Sikaka says everything learnt in the classroom has to be successfully implemented before apprentices can move onto the next phase of learning.

“Each phase – which is made up of several modules – takes a year to complete, with an assessment or exam conducted at the end of each phase. There are four phases in total – hence the four-year programme.”

Each apprentice is assigned a journeyman to oversee different aspects of the development work and provide progress reports to the trainers. “The journeymen work closely with the trainers to identify what aspects they need to expose the apprentices to, for each module. It’s the journeyman’s job to highlight areas of excellence or improvement and sign a log book at the end of each aspect,” notes Sikaka.

As a training and funding partner to CFAO Equipment, the log book is a requirement of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (MERSETA). Once apprentices have completed the programme, they achieve a trade qualification – forklift mechanic – recognised by MERSETA.

Sikaka says when the apprenticeship programme was introduced in 2003, a limited number of females applied for the trade. “There was never a ban on women, but the trade was seen as a predominantly male role and women shied away from applying.”

In 2014, the programme started to gain traction amongst women, due to the company’s concerted efforts to attract women, a move that really started to bear fruit in 2022.

“Our Managing Director, Richard Cox, wanted to see a paradigm shift in the business. He believes in transformation and representation, encouraging us to place greater emphasis on attracting women,” says Sikaka.

Initially, there was some resistance to having female forklift technicians at work sites, but they proved themselves to be meticulous, reliable and resourceful. In fact, they did so well that CFAO Equipment customers began to ask for specific individuals to do their maintenance and repairs.

To join the programme, applicants need a minimum N2 qualification with technical drawing, mathematics and engineering science. “We have to ensure that the applicants who want to join the programme do so because they have a passion for technical work,” says Sikaka.

Applicants are sourced from Further Education and Training (FET) colleges and technical high schools in the communities that CFAO Equipment operates in. “We have actively communicated our goal to recruit more females in an effort to dispel myths and stereotypes that this particular career is purely for men. The women we have in the business have proved this – that they can do it just as well,” notes Sikaka.

CFAO Equipment has 54 apprentices, currently on the programme nationally, with another 38 expected to on-board in 2025, bringing the number up to 89. This is welcome news for an industry where forklift technical skills are scarce and there are limited programmes in place to nurture interested candidates.