Meet Shanice Pedro, The First South African Female Shipbuilder. The woman has put herself in the history books by becoming the first ever female shipbuilder in South Africa.
Shanice Pedro is from Bonteheuwel in Cape Town. The woman has put herself in the history books by becoming the first ever female shipbuilder in South Africa. The 26-year-old woman told IOL that being in a field that has a large male influence had its toll on her. There were days were she wanted to quit but her love and passion for the field helped to keep on moving.
“My body sometimes aches after a strenuous job, but it comes with the trade,” says Shanice Pedro. The 26-year-old woman has learnt that every obstacle is a chance at growth. Shanice says, “My stature and physical strength have always been my biggest challenge in this field.” She completed her matric in 2010 at Spes Bona Technical High School.
She then studied Engineering Sciences in tertiary, this is where she learned how to work with steel. The 26-year-old woman also did multi-disciplinary drawing in tertiary. Shanice shows her gratitude towards her mentor. “Once I became enrolled in an apprenticeship programme, the training officer for shipping at that time, Mr Rafeeq Fisher, who been my father figure throughout the apprenticeship and the forerunner of fighting to get me qualified, insisted I pursue this trade.”
Shanice Pedro says she doesn’t regret ever choosing to do this job because she is now a shipbuilder, the first female shipbuilder in South Africa. She says that she looks up to the people she works with because they teach her a lot. The people she works with don’t look at her body type or stature.
by Alexandra Ramaite
