Bloemfontein spray painter and World Skills gold medallist, Lerato Mokhobo, speaks to Bloemfontein Courant about her passion for the motor industry and what it means for her to be a woman in the industry.

“I have always liked the motor industry. In high school, I was not sure where to go and what to do but I knew that it had something to do with cars.”

Mokhobo draws inspiration from the idea that the industry is male-dominated. She saw an opportunity to break this notion, by claiming her place in the workshop not only as a female but as a qualified spray painter.

“When I get into the workshop and find that there are 95% men and 5% women, it challenges and motivates me to do more and I love it more than I did before,” she says.

This Bloemfontein-born professional says that women bring life to the workshop and are as capable as men when it comes to handling machinery and equipment. “We, as women, can join the motor industry and create chemistry. If you love it and you are able to do it, it does not matter whether you are a woman or a man,” she says.

Although, Lerato enjoys preparing for her day-to-day activities at the workshop, her favorite part of the job is putting paint on the car. “It is like a girl putting make-up on a car,” she says. Lerato won gold at the World Skills national competition earlier this month and will represent the country at the International Competition in Denmark later this year.

Gypseenia Lion
gypseenia@mahareng.co.za