People | 02 Sep 2019 | By Sun International
Female mechanical engineer speaks of her life and career in “a man’s world”
Mosire "Mo" Tshite
Mosire "Mo" Tshite
She is an absolutely dynamic, powerhouse career woman, daughter, wife and mother and is fast making a name for herself in a predominantly male industry. She is Sun City’s first ever Technical Shared Services Manager and speaks, amongst other things, of her role at Sun International’s iconic resort.
Remember the name Mosire “Mo” Tshite. Hailing from Soweto, this energetic mechanical engineer says she loves Sun City.
“It’s a beautiful place and has lots of hidden corners where I can escape to clear my head. It’s a clean working environment after breathing dust for years in my career, it is refreshing to not have to wear a dust mask just to get to my office.”
Mosire says that in her current role, a lot of work lies ahead but that when she gets it all right, it will be something for the history books.
“I see this position and its challenges as a blank canvas and I am the artist. I don’t know what it will end up looking like but I am inspired enough to know it will be a great masterpiece.”
Key milestones in her life and career include graduating with a BSc Mechanical Engineering Degree from UCT and being the first African female maintenance manager in ArcelorMittal, Vanderbijlpark’s Iron Making Division.
“That was no walk in the park but a definite privilege. I grew as an engineer with ArcelorMittal during my graduate training program and this is what set me up to start looking at maintenance as not just a job but a science in its own right. They took a chance on me and it was humbling.”
Completing her MAP course with Wits Business School was another milestone for Mosire, as was working for Engen Petroleum (at the Refinery in the Bluff) and Lafarge.
Raised by a nurse and a diesel mechanic, Mosire says her childhood was not easy but that her parents were the simply the best.
“My dad was a pastor who instilled deep values in us.”
Education was always an important issue to her parents and this “daddy’s girl” recalls her father always saying, “Ngwanyana, the world owes you nothing except what you have worked for.”
“To this day I live by that motto. He was my life mentor. He taught me to never look at a person’s status but his character, how to deal with union members since he was a SATAWU shop steward and also taught me the power of research which led to my interest in etymology in all languages.”
Mosire strives to be a good parent to her son. Her hobbies include spending time with him, teaching him to read, developing hair products for her hair, researching new trends and topics, and driving. “I never turn down a road trip unless I really cannot go.”
She is the first of her kind to occupy the role she does at Sun City and that knowledge is what makes her realise that being first does not mean anything if the legacy she leaves behind is not a good and lasting one. This family-focused woman says her mother was a big influence in her life too.
“She was a nurse who worked terrible hours but somehow managed to keep her poise around us. It taught me the art of ‘never let them see you sweat’,” she explains.
Her fellow women in the workforce also inspire Mosire. “I work with smart, passionate women and even though we are in different fields, being able to bounce ideas and having confidants at work is a blessing.”
Mosire describes her husband as “a gorgeous Kenyan man”, her friend and her biggest fan. “He is very smart, composed, and analytical by nature. He never reacts with emotions.”
Being a young woman in a “man’s industry” comes with its challenges. Mosire says she is yet to convince people to overlook her gender and focus on what she has to say and can accomplish. From having to work harder to prove herself as a female mechanical engineer, to having fibroids and having to have undergone a hysterectomy at just 23 years of age, Mosire has faced many tough times but remains a bubbling fountain of happiness and positivity with loads of good, concrete advice to young people battling to climb the ranks at work.
“It is not about where you start or even where you end up, it is the journey. Do not let ambition govern your decisions as nothing is worth sacrificing your morals and values for,” Mosire advises confidently.
“I have a point to prove as a female mechanical engineer but the prospect of implementing efficient systems that will be used by generations to come drives and challenges me, and will until I conquer.”