A young mother from Bonteheuwel, who is making a name for herself in a male-dominated industry, is doing a brilliant job.
28-year-old Kayla Du Toit, who is currently a Diesel Mechanic at Golden Arrow Bus Service, said she immediately had an interest in diesel, oil and mechanics after she matriculated from Spes Bona High School in 2011.
Du Toit expressed that she seriously considered pursuing this field and this then led her to do an apprenticeship at JTK Marine in Diesel Fitting in 2012. However, when the company closed down, she was left wondering how she would be able to achieve her dream. Her plans started to materialise and in 2016, she was off to Northlink to study her N3 Diesel Trade.
Dream
After her studies, the mom of one was one step closer to her dream when she was chosen to join Imperial Motors in 2018, where she later completed her Diesel Mechanic apprenticeship and became a qualified Diesel Mechanic in 2021.
Bonteheuwel ward councillor, Angus McKenzie told Cape {town} Etc that to date, Du Toit is in all likelihood the first qualified female Diesel Mechanic.
“Kayla has shown that making the correct choices plays a critical role, despite many stumbling blocks including her mother and partner’s death, ” McKenzie said.
Meanwhile, Du Toit’s current priority is ensuring that MyCiti buses are ready to resume operations between Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha and the Cape Town CBD later this month.
The preparations follows a new operating contract, which was signed with the N2 Company, equally owned by the Congress of Democratic Taxi Association.
The N2 Express service, which provided affordable, regular, and scheduled public transport between the three areas was suspended at the end of May 2019.
With the resumption of the N2 Express service, more than 6 000 commuters from Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha will benefit once the buses are back on the road.
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Picture: Supplied