Engineering a future where women thrive

This Women’s Month, Zutari celebrates three women whose careers reflect the diversity, talent and leadership shaping the future of engineering. From digital transformation and brand strategy to sustainable water infrastructure, their stories demonstrate that innovation is driven by people who are prepared to learn, lead and create meaningful impact.

Engineering has never been solely about technical expertise. It is about solving problems, improving lives and creating lasting value for communities. Across Zutari, women are helping to shape that future in different ways, whether by strengthening the organisation’s brand, driving digital transformation or designing critical water infrastructure.

This Women’s Month, Zutari recognises the achievements of women at every stage of their careers. While their professional paths differ, Group Marketing and Communications lead Andiswa Dlokolo, BIM Consultant Anneke Pretorius and Candidate Civil Engineer Juanita Narayan all share a common belief: meaningful progress happens when curiosity, collaboration and continuous learning come together.

Building influence through collaboration

For Andiswa, storytelling has become a powerful way of creating impact in a technical industry. Leading Zutari’s marketing and communications strategy means translating complex engineering projects into compelling narratives that strengthen the brand and support business growth.

“What keeps me motivated at Zutari is our core mission of providing solutions that have a positive impact and improve people’s lives,” she says. “I love the challenge of taking complex, technical engineering concepts and embedding them into a compelling brand narrative that resonates with the market, helps us retain and win projects, and leaves a meaningful legacy.”

Having built her career in a traditionally male-dominated sector, Andiswa believes credibility comes from combining expertise with preparation and measurable results. “I have overcome industry challenges by ensuring my voice is backed by deep professional expertise, business data analysis and clear marketing metrics,” she explains.

“By maintaining a positive mindset, a strong sense of urgency and a willingness to go the extra mile, I have established strong partnerships with our Client Directors and technical teams.” She has also witnessed encouraging progress for women in leadership.

“I want to see organisations move past baseline compliance and fully embrace diversity as a core driver of business success,” says Andiswa. “That includes seeing more women holding single points of accountability for major corporate strategies, budgets and executive decisions.”

Driving digital transformation through people

Anneke has built her career around helping people embrace digital ways of working. As a BIM Consultant in Zutari’s Digital Advisory team, she develops standards, improves digital processes and supports project teams in adopting new technologies that improve project delivery.

“What continues to motivate me is knowing that the work I do helps make life easier for others,” she says. “Whether it is simplifying a process, improving quality or helping someone gain confidence with new technology, it is rewarding to see people and projects benefit from digital transformation.”

Her contribution to advancing digital engineering was recently recognised through the Extraordinary Woman in BIM 2026 award, but Anneke is quick to acknowledge the collaborative effort behind the achievement.

“While the award recognised my individual contribution, I see it as a reflection of the many people I have had the privilege of working with and the collective effort to improve the way we deliver projects through collaboration, innovation and continuous learning,” says Anneke.

“The best leaders balance sound judgement with genuine understanding, because people don’t embrace change simply because it is logical, they embrace it when they understand its purpose and feel supported through it,” she stresses.

Looking ahead, Anneke hopes to see the engineering industry continue to embrace digital transformation through better collaboration and information management. “Technology will continue to evolve, but our greatest strength will always be our willingness to learn, adapt and work together. When we create an environment where people can confidently share information and collaborate, everyone benefits.”

Growing through opportunity

As one of Zutari’s emerging engineering professionals, Juanita represents the next generation helping to shape South Africa’s infrastructure. Working in the water division, she contributes to the design of wastewater infrastructure while developing her technical skills across hydraulic calculations, multidisciplinary coordination and digital modelling.

“My grandfather first introduced me to engineering when I was young,” she recalls. “What keeps me motivated today is knowing that every project is an opportunity to learn something new. Engineering is constantly evolving, and I enjoy being challenged while contributing to work that has a positive impact on communities.”

Juanita believes confidence develops through experience rather than certainty. “One of the biggest challenges has been learning to trust my own abilities,” she says. “Confidence does not come overnight; it grows through experience, preparation and believing in your own potential.”

Her work has also reinforced the broader purpose behind engineering. “Seeing how sustainable design decisions can improve water management and protect the environment reminds me that our work extends beyond drawings and calculations,” she says. “Knowing that the projects we work on can positively impact communities and future generations gives my work real meaning.”

Her advice to young women entering the profession is simple but powerful. “Do not let self-doubt stop you from taking opportunities,” she says. “Every expert started as a beginner. Be kind, work hard, keep learning, and remember that your unique perspective has value.”

Although their careers are at different stages, Andiswa, Anneke and Juanita all demonstrate that engineering excellence is strengthened by diverse perspectives, collaboration and a willingness to keep learning. Their stories reflect Zutari’s commitment to creating an environment where women are supported to build rewarding careers while contributing to projects that improve lives across Africa.