South Africa’s rail industry faces a critical skills shortage at a time when freight and passenger demand is rising. Women make up just 18.8% of the transport sector workforce, dropping to 14.2% among registered engineers. Artisanal training for scarce skills sees fewer than three in ten trainees being female. Traxtion, one of Africa’s largest private freight rail operators, is taking deliberate steps to change that picture.
In 2023, Traxtion launched its Future of Rail is Woman campaign, now held annually during Women’s Month. Activities include the Rail Careers and Opportunities Exhibition in Rosslyn, Pretoria, in partnership with regulatory bodies, rail operators, government institutions, and suppliers.
“Our goal is to make rail a viable and attractive career for women from the classroom to the control room,” says Nnoni Mohlaphuli, Brand, Communications and Marketing Manager at Traxtion.
Bursaries and apprenticeships close the gap
The TraxWiN (Women in Leadership Network) initiative celebrates, supports, and develops female talent identified as future leaders. For the 2025 TraxWagon Bursary intake, four bursaries were awarded to women enrolled in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
“Although we aimed for 100% female representation with the bursary fund, the scarcity of young females in these trades resulted in a 70/30 split in female representation for the bursary intake,” Mohlaphuli says.
The Traxtion Diesel Electrical Fitter Apprenticeship also targets gender inclusion, aiming for at least 40% female representation by 2024. Notably, 29-year-old Keneilwe Tekane was named the 2025 Apprentice of the Year three years after joining the programme.
“We are deliberate about linking training to real career paths by integrating graduates into our operations and giving them the same exposure and responsibility as their male peers,” she adds.
Engaging young women early in rail careers
Traxtion will launch a Rail Fair in partnership with industry stakeholders, where companies mentor school teams to identify challenges in rail and develop solutions. Student-led projects will be presented at the fair, with prizes for participation.
“Perception is the first barrier. When girls see women in hard hats, in the cab of a locomotive, or the control room, it normalises the idea that they can be there too,” Mohlaphuli says.
A workforce challenge with economic stakes
The African rail sector will require a significantly expanded skilled workforce over the next decade. Without a more inclusive pipeline, shortages will slow projects, increase costs, and limit rail’s ability to compete with road transport.
“Every intake, every training programme, and every partnership has to be intentional about gender inclusion. Traxtion has already partnered with several industry stakeholders, and we are calling for more industry stakeholders to get involved, because the next transformative phase will require unprecedented ways to address the gender disparities in the sector,” Mohlaphuli concludes.
