{"id":13865,"date":"2016-02-04T03:56:11","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T03:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/?p=13865"},"modified":"2016-11-28T16:26:16","modified_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:26:16","slug":"woman-aviation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/woman-aviation","title":{"rendered":"Meet The Woman Who Is Disrupting South Africa&#8217;s Male-Dominated Aviation Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a6b39195b99473d6c9dd698db2668010\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:2px 0 2px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<center>\r\n\r\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\r\nfunction ShorterThan(widthMax) {\r\n                if (screen.width < widthMax) {return true;}  \r\n                else {return false}\r\n    }\r\nvar LimitWidth = 728\r\nvar MobileZoneID = 348996\r\nvar DesktopZoneID = 348995   \r\n<!--\/\/<![CDATA[\r\n   document.MAX_ct0 ='';\r\n   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?':'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?');\r\n   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);\r\n   document.write (\"<scr\"+\"ipt type='text\/javascript' src='\"+m3_u);\r\n   if (ShorterThan(LimitWidth)) {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+MobileZoneID);} else {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+DesktopZoneID);}\r\n   document.write(\"&nodis=1\");\r\n   document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r);\r\n   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write (\"&exclude=\" + document.MAX_used);\r\n   document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : ''));\r\n   document.write (\"&loc=\" + escape(window.location));\r\n   if (document.referrer) document.write (\"&referer=\" + escape(document.referrer));\r\n   if (document.context) document.write (\"&context=\" + escape(document.context));\r\n   if ((typeof(document.MAX_ct0) != 'undefined') && (document.MAX_ct0.substring(0,4) == 'http')) {\r\n       document.write (\"&ct0=\" + escape(document.MAX_ct0));\r\n   }\r\n   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write (\"&mmm_fo=1\");\r\n   document.write (\"'><\/scr\"+\"ipt>\");\r\n\/\/]]>--><\/script>\r\n<\/center>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sibongile Sambo dreamed of being a flight attendant with South African Airways, but she was rejected. One day, she decided to start her own aviation company. Now, she is the CEO of SRS Aviation &#8211; the first fully black, female-owned aviation company in South Africa.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A lifelong dream<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sambo was born in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. She was interested in flying from a young age, dreaming of travelling all around the world. Unfortunately, she did not meet the minimum height requirement to be a flight attendant. Rather than wallow in self-pity, she decided to create her own company. Sambo began with a small loan from her mother and her aunt, which helped her secure the needed contracts to start off and founded SRS Aviation in 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13870\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13870\" style=\"width: 702px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-13870\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/4_104.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"702\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/4_104.jpg 635w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/4_104-600x410.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/4_104-85x58.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13870\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/m.cdn.blog.hu\/ho\/holgypilota\/image\/4_104.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Breaking into a male-dominated industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Breaking into the aviation industry was very difficult\u00a0despite receiving all the funding necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cI had to learn the different background operational needs before a flight. I had to call around and find out from different people what I needed to do,\u201d Sambo recalls.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">She had to learn the language of the industry as she went along. \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even the clients themselves assisted me because they had run (similar) contracts before<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d Then there was the added challenge of dealing with a male-dominated industry. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cMost people saw (my entry) as very awkward, and initially, people never took me seriously,\u201d she said. \u201cI had to prove myself more than 10 times. \u00a0I told them I\u2019m here, I\u2019m here to stay, I\u2019m here to grow this business, and I\u2019m here to make changes as well, because I\u2019m young, I\u2019m very innovative and I want to bring a new spice into the industry,\u201d Sambo said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13868\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13868\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/screen-shot-2016-02-04-at-3-16-38-am.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/screen-shot-2016-02-04-at-3-16-38-am.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/screen-shot-2016-02-04-at-3-16-38-am-600x214.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/screen-shot-2016-02-04-at-3-16-38-am-85x30.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.srsaviation.co.za\/\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>A tremendous growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was a challenge, but the company managed to break in. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u00a0\u201cWhat I\u2019m proud of about our company is that we have managed to penetrate the male-dominated industry,\u201d Sambo said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There were some tough times, but they have managed to stay strong. She believes that &#8220;b<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">eing able to communicate with people at different levels has probably benefited [her] the most in [her] career<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d She also noted that men take her more seriously when they realize that she is just are or more intelligent than they are. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u00a0\u201cSo I stay knowledgeable; I read continuously and attend conferences and industry events regularly,\u201d she said.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Now she has partnered with the company MCC Aviation &#8211; they are established and have access to resources like aircraft, technical, and operational support. The airline offers flights within South Africa and internationally. There are professional and private options: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;It could be a tourist charter for $1,000 or could be a head of state traveling on a VIP aircraft to the United States, which could be about $200,000,\u201d she explained.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">SRS Aviation also offers maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners. \u00a0She plans to expand the helicopter services and her company throughout Africa. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>&#8220;Aviation is growing in Africa. We are going to grow with the growth in Africa.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13871\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13871\" style=\"width: 679px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13871\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/sibongile-sambo-_690x450_crop_80.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"679\" height=\"357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/sibongile-sambo-_690x450_crop_80.jpg 679w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/sibongile-sambo-_690x450_crop_80-600x315.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/02\/sibongile-sambo-_690x450_crop_80-85x45.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 679px) 100vw, 679px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13871\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.destinyconnect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sibongile-Sambo-_690x450_crop_80.jpg\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/achievers-ghana\">SEE ALSO:\u00a0Achievers Ghana, The NGO That Is Educating Girls The Slums Of Ghana.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sibongile Sambo dreamed of being a flight attendant with South African Airways, but she was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":13871,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[27,110],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Meet The Woman Who Is Disrupting South Africa&#039;s Male-Dominated Aviation 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