Hleziphi Siyothula-Mtshizana

Growing up in Umlazi township in KwaZulu-Natal, one of six children raised by a single mother, Hleziphi Siyothula- Mtshizana’s life story – by her own admission – could have been very different. It was education that set her free, she says. “Our economic conditions had improved slightly, and my sister was able to get me into a former model C school. Looking back, that changed my course, and the decisions I made for my career and future goals.”

She was always a smart child and gravitated to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, partly because of her family’s firm belief in her, that she was destined for success. When it came to choosing matric subjects, maths and science were not just interests but stepping stones to her dream career in electrical engineering. “My chances of securing a job after university, a job that would pay well so I could then lift my family out of that socioeconomic environment, were much higher with STEM,” she says.