Why We Need to Talk About Women in Auto

Gumtree is holding its annual Women in Autos Awards on 20
August 2021, a gathering of trailblazers in the automotive industry advocating for
and inspiring more women to choose auto as their career path.
This year, the awards will be hosted by Pertunia Sibanyoni, CEO at InspectaCar and
Women in Auto council member. She is passionate about female empowerment and
nurturing more women for leadership positions, as well as mentoring the future
captains of industry in South Africa.

“The fact is that the automotive industry has plenty of inspirational women, and
there is room for us to groom the younger generation to take a leap in this industry,”
she says.

Read more from Sibanyoni on the Gumtree Women in Autos Awards, the state of
the automotive industry today and how women can overcome barriers to build
sustainable, successful careers in what has long been considered a male-dominated
field.

Tell me a little about the Gumtree Women in Autos Awards, why is it important?
Why do we need to talk about women in the automotive industry?

This event started in 2018 and I got involved in 2019 when it was a summit
supported by the festival of motoring. It was a prestigious event where women in
the auto industry were recognised, and it brought together top women stalwarts
who have had an impact in this industry. They shared deeply personal stories,
industry related topics and inspired the audience.

It’s from this event that a group of six phenomenal women in the industry came
together during lockdown in July 2020 to form a Women in Automotive Council
represented by Marcia Mayaba (Barloworld), Nthabiseng Motsepe (Nissan), Maja
Smith (Ford), Esther Buthelezi (Ford), Estelle Nagel (Gumtree) and myself.

The main goal is collaborating to fuel diversity and inclusion in the automotive
industry for the benefit of women working, or aiming to work, in autos, the industry
and its customers. Economic transformation is also a crucial aspect, which involves repositioning the Motor Industry – OEM, Dealers, Components and Accessories – to attract women who otherwise would not have considered it a career of choice.

The automotive industry is a key contributor to South Africa’s GDP and one that is
recognised as a key sector in the value chain of many other sectors driving the
economy. It’s a business imperative to drive a transformation agenda that provides
women a key player role.

What are the opportunities for women in this industry? What would you tell a
woman who wants to enter?
Now is the right time for key players, from manufacturing to retail, to unlock
opportunities for women to take up roles that were predominantly ring fenced for
men. There must be a shift from your admin focused roles (such as finance and
insurance) to strategic and leadership roles, giving women opportunities to own
dealerships, be franchise executives and even CEOs of automotive businesses.

For a woman who wishes to enter this industry, I would urge you to join the Women
in Auto group. We provide a voice for women to advance their careers to executive
levels, provide mentoring for other women in the industry and also make it
attractive to others that want to join. Women need to be bolder, leverage their
competence to build confidence, and be open to being mentored to climb the
ladder, but at the same time not forgetting to lift others with them as they rise.

What are the barriers that are still holding women back from entering this
industry?
It was not surprising that in August 2020 when we carried out a survey with women
in the automotive industry at different levels, 65% of women said they have
experienced being tasked with lower-level assignments compared to their male
peers, 50% have felt unsafe at work, and 38% of women said lack of advancement is
their biggest concern.

Other barriers to be noted are inequalities in pay, networking centred around men
(such as hunting and golf), women not trusting each other, men still seen as leaders
and women as followers, and a lack of networking and mentorship.

We have started tackling some of these barriers, and each one of us on the council
has mentored several women and have created networking opportunities in a safe
space where women can openly talk about the issues they are facing. We are
pleading to all the corporates and the industry body associations - like NADA,
NAAMSA and AAAM - to join forces with us to accelerate and support women
advancement.

The Gumtree Women in Autos Awards is also a member of the South African United Business Confederation (SAUBC) and partakes in the diversity and inclusion policy committee represented by Maja Smith.

Please tell us a little about your own journey in the auto industry.
I am a career shifter having spent 12 years in the oil and energy industry with Shell.
After a year of sabbatical I was headhunted by WesBank in 2017 to head up the used
car franchise, InspectaCar. When I started in this new role, I had to rely on my
franchising competence to build confidence and gain trust from the dealer network.
My passion and knowledge for cars from being daddy’s little girl also came in very
handy.

I am also very grateful for my mentor, leadership and strategy guru, Tony Frost.
When our journey started, he said he wanted to mentor me as CEO, but also as a
mother, daughter, partner and person in society. He unlocked his valuable networks
in the automotive industry. He is someone that challenges me to be out of my
comfort zone and wants me to succeed. As self-made millionaire Jim Rohn said: “My
mentor said, ‘Let’s go do it,’ not ‘You go do it.’ How powerful when someone says ‘Let’s!’”

What do you love most about this industry?
My dad was a mechanic and transport business owner and he taught me everything
there is to know about cars and business. We shared the thrill and love of cars. While
working for Shell I fuelled my passion for Ferrari and had the once in a lifetime
pleasure of meeting Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa and Marc Gene. I get to live
my passion daily fulfilling my love of sports cars and showcasing my expertise in
franchising.

I have also enjoyed playing golf, as it’s something I started recently, and have also
tried hunting and was more recently featured in the TransUnion 60 years
anniversary video as the only woman among automotive industry moguls. I was also
a panellist in Deloitte The Future of Auto Retailing in May and June 2021.

Who are some other inspirational women making inroads in this industry?
Definitely my fellow council members. I am very inspired by Marcia Mayaba’s
journey of over 20 years in the automotive industry taking up a franchise executive
role and more recently becoming CEO at Barloworld. She infused this confidence of
‘it can be done and own it’. I am also inspired by Junior Shabangu, who was the first
black female regional manager at WesBank. She now heads up the OEMs and JVs
portfolio. Her wisdom is always refreshing for me to tap into. The fact is that the
automotive industry has plenty of inspirational women, and there is room for us to
groom the younger generation to take a leap in this industry.

This event is free to join and takes place 10am – 11am, 20 August 2021. RSVP
enagel@gumtreeco.za for a conference link.