A woman on track in a man's world

Patricia Norris, Founder of CTE

Not only was Norris the first female to be granted Preferred Supplier status within the nuclear environment; to establish a rolling stock refurbishment company and to sit on the board of a farming co-op, she also heads the first and only company wholly owned by a black woman that was successfully contracted in 1998 by Prasa to repair and renovate Metrorail coaches. On these achievements, Norris says, “It’s not important that I was the first. What is important is that new ground has been broken, making way for other women.”

Norris’ success did not come easily. As a female operating in the traditionally male-governed rail sphere, she came up against barriers due to her race and gender during the early years of South Africa’s democracy. She shares, “I had to prove myself capable of understanding the critical complexities of providing products and capabilities to ensure the safety of commuters as well as being able to assimilate technical engineering knowledge. I took it upon myself to become proficient in these and other areas. I undertook great personal risks in delivering an attractive opportunity for all stakeholders. I also had to attain the funding necessary to achieve my dreams for CTE in an environment in which few companies were willing to support a fledgling, female-owned business and developed a compelling business plan that resulted in loans from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).”

She and her company also faced difficulties in the years between 2012 and 2014 with the largest tenders in rail, globally, being awarded to other companies, which excluded the company’s participation and resulted in the retrenchment of 500 employees. “The obstacles have been many, but overcome with tenacity and perseverance together with the consistent support of the IDC ensured our business continuity.”

Empowering communities

CTE started in the late 1990s with Norris transforming the previously poverty-stricken and derelict town of Touwsriver into a thriving micro-economy through providing community development programmes too and employing members of the community to refurbish commuter trains. Today, almost twenty years later, CTE is a national company comprised of five separate businesses employing over a thousand people and with 53hct of workshop space.

As seen in Touwsriver, Norris’ business and personal ethos are underpinned by a commitment to securing people’s futures. For this reason, CTE has always invested in areas of great unemployment, partnered with other companies and nurtured employees who have the talent but not necessarily the desired qualifications.

The company and its founder empower the communities in which CTE operates to live with dignity and prosperity through the provision of essential life-skills training, involving them in community projects such as care provision for the aged and child-feeding schemes and focussing on early childhood development. In her spare time, Norris runs a leadership summit to help build the self-esteem and confidence of high-schoolers. She also would like to provide support to young female entrepreneurs through mentorship programmes.

Female leaders, matriarchs

Her advice to other women seeking similar success is that barriers are simply perceptions and can be overcome. “South Africa has a history of strong women who have succeeded despite adverse conditions. I believe that as female leaders, we should serve as matriarchs, not only within our families, but amongst our colleagues and employees as well as with government. We also need to exceed the expectations placed on us.”

“Rail transport promises to be an exciting and challenging arena within infrastructure development in South Africa, as the government increasingly commits to providing the resources and money to develop this and other essential services. It is my aim to continue developing CTE and its people to keep commuters on track,” concludes Norris.