“WomEng VUT Circles hosted the EnginHERing the Future seminar, inspiring women engineering students through career, confidence, well-being and academic success.”
25 August 2026 | Story by: Tshepiso Kaibe | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza
4 minutes read time.
For many young women entering engineering, earning a qualification is only part of the journey. They must also learn to trust their abilities, navigate setbacks and claim their place in a field in which women remain underrepresented.
These realities shaped the EnginHERing the Future seminar hosted by WomEng VUT Circles on 18 August 2026. Held as part of the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Women’s Month programme, the seminar brought students, academics, professionals and support practitioners together for honest conversations about careers, confidence, well-being and academic success.
Chemical Engineering Lecturer Dr Letsabisa Lerotholi encouraged students to consider career paths beyond industry, particularly academia, where engineers can become researchers, educators, mentors and leaders.
“South Africa needs engineers who can transform both knowledge and practice,” she said, adding that gender equity, transformation and national development must form part of the engineering conversation.
For Dr Lerotholi, engineering research must remain connected to the communities and industries it is intended to serve. “We need research that transforms communities,” she said, urging students to remain curious and use their knowledge to address real societal challenges.
Mechanical Engineering Technician and Researcher Ms Vhahangwele Sigonde shared a deeply personal account of growing up in a disadvantaged rural community with few role models. Rather than allowing her circumstances to define her future, she actively sought knowledge and created opportunities for herself.
Her message to students was that confidence does not always come first. Often, it grows through preparation, knowledge and experience.
“Once you have the facts and understand the opinions, you become confident because you know what you are doing,” she said. She reminded students that engineering must ultimately serve a purpose by helping to solve the problems confronting society.
Joining virtually, WomEng VUT Circles Founder and VUT Chemical Engineering Alumna Ms Simphiwe Zwane spoke candidly about the struggles that are often hidden behind academic success.
Now a Master’s candidate, Ms Zwane completed her Advanced Diploma at VUT and her Bachelor of Engineering Honours at the University of Johannesburg with distinction. She reminded students that
graduation photographs and academic accolades seldom reveal the doubt, pressure, rejection and mistakes experienced along the way.
“Your journey does not have to be perfect for it to be meaningful,” she said.
Her message resonated particularly with young women who may feel pressured to prove that they belong in engineering. “You cannot shrink yourself for anyone because you belong,” she said. “You do not have to be less feminine to be technical.”
VUT Engineering Student Ms Annah Kadiaka said the seminar showed her that entering the profession was only the beginning.
“Being a woman in engineering alone is not enough in the industry,” she said. “Along with hard work, one has to possess leadership skills, be professional and respect those above and below you to guarantee growth, not just individually, but also the growth of our community.”
The seminar also acknowledged that developing successful engineers requires supporting the whole student, not merely monitoring academic performance.
Ms Thabile Khambule from VUT’s Institutional HIV and AIDS Unit (IHAU) outlined the health and wellness services available to students, including HIV testing, sexually transmitted infection services and sexual and reproductive healthcare.
VUT Social Worker Ms Dinah Mnguni encouraged students to seek support before personal challenges become crises. She highlighted the individual and group counselling, crisis intervention and psychosocial support services available through Student Counselling and Support.
“Please do look after yourself so that you can achieve your goal,” she urged.
Faculty of Engineering Student Faculty Advisor Ms Sanele Nxumalo concluded by introducing students to academic advising, Supplementary Instruction, mentorship and the Writing Lab. She encouraged them to use the support structures already available to help them navigate their studies.
EnginHERing the Future did more than celebrate women in engineering. It created a space in which young women could confront uncertainty, learn from those who had walked the road before them and recognise that they do not need permission to belong.
Through these conversations, WomEng VUT Circles helped students imagine an engineering future in which women are not merely present, but are leading, innovating and shaping solutions for society.