Refilwe Ledwaba

Ledwaba grew up in a single-parent household in Lenyenye, Limpopo and is one of seven children.{{Cite web|url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/meet-south-africas-first-black-female-police-pilot-refilwe-ledwaba|title=Meet South Africa's first black female police pilot, Refilwe Ledwaba|date=2020-01-14|website=Face2Face Africa|language=en|access-date=2020-03-06}} Her mother worked as a teacher while bringing her children up by herself.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/13/africa/south-africa-female-pilot-ledwaba-intl/index.html|title=This South African pilot is on a mission to change the face of aviation in Africa|author1=Jo Munnik |author2=Aisha Salaudeen|website=CNN|date=13 January 2020 |access-date=2020-03-06}} Her sisters all went to university. She studied for a BSc at the University of Cape Town in Biochemistry with the intent to become a doctor.{{Cite web|url=https://za.linkedin.com/in/refilweledwaba|title=Refile Ledwaba|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}} However, whilst at university she flew for the first time, and decided to pursue a career in aviation. She began working as cabin crew for South African Airways; while working for them she wrote to over two hundred aviation companies asking them for opportunities to train. The South African Police Force offered to pay for her training and support her wish to become a commercial pilot, so she took them up on their job offer.

Ledwaba is the first black woman from South Africa to fly a helicopter and she is also the first black woman to fly for the South African Police Service (SAPS).{{Cite web|url=https://100women.okayafrica.com/editorial/refilweledwaba|title=Refilwe Ledwaba|website=OKAYAFRICA's 100 WOMEN|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}} She received her pilot's wings on 11 January 2006, aged 26.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yDgFAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Refilwe+Ledwaba%22+-wikipedia|title=Servamus|date=2006|publisher=SARP-Uitgevers|language=en}} During her time in SAPS she flew over 2500 hours, recovered dead bodies from remote places and undertook solo reconnaissance missions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2018/12/24/in-pictures-south-africas-first-black-female-helicopter-pilot-for-saps-uplifts-young-women/|title=IN PICTURES {{!}} South Africa's first black female helicopter pilot for SAPS uplifts young women|last=admin|date=2018-12-24|website=Forbes Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}} She is a qualified fixed wing instructor.{{Cite web|url=https://southafrica.inspiringfifty.org/refilwe-ledwaba|title=Refilwe Ledwaba|website=Inspiring Fifty: South Africa|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}}

Ledwaba founded the non-profit organisation Girl Fly Africa in Programme to encourage young women into STEM careers, whatever their background. Ledwaba organises the programme for this organisation every year: introducing women into the idea of flying as a career, as well as coding and robotics.{{Cite news|last=Ford|first=Dhruti Shah and Tamasin|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44764541|title=The female pilot teaching African women to fly|date=2018-09-25|work=BBC News|access-date=2020-03-06|language=en-GB}} It organises lessons and training camps for young women in Botswana, Cameroon and South Africa.{{Cite web|url=https://assembly.malala.org/stories/girls-fly-programme-africa|title=South Africa's first black female helicopter pilot helps girls reach new heights in the aviation and aerospace industry — Assembly {{!}} Malala Fund|website=Assembly|date=January 2020 |language=en-GB|access-date=2020-03-06}} As of 2019, over 100,000 young women had participated in GFAP.{{Cite book|title=Engaging the next generation of aviation professionals|author1=Kearns, Suzanne K. |author2=Mavin, Timothy J. |author3=Hodge, Steven|date=8 November 2019 |isbn=978-0-429-28773-2|edition=First |location=London|oclc=1128095813}} She credits her upbringing, led by strong women in apartheid South Africa, as inspiration for her success. In 2009 she set up the Southern African Women in Aviation and Aerospace Industry (SAWIA) group, to support women working in aviation. Ledwaba has publicly called for the sector to employ more women, especially women of colour at strategic levels in aviation.

In 2019, Ledwaba was a co-signatory on a letter addressed to The Guardian marking International Women's Day, calling for equality for African women.{{Cite news|last=Letters|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/08/equality-for-african-women|title=Equality for African women {{!}} Letters|date=2019-03-08|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-03-06|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} In the same year she joined the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' TechWomen programme as a mentee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.techwomen.org/techwomen-mentees/refilwe-ledwaba|title=Refilwe Ledwaba|website=TechWomen|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-06}} She also became an Obama Foundation Fellow in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.obama.org/africa-old-2/|title=Leaders: Africa 2019|website=Obama Foundation|language=en|access-date=2020-03-06}} Ledwaba is a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeeper, a role she uses to advocate for women's rights in Africa.

2012 - South African Youth Award (Entrepreneur)

2012 - CEO Communication's Most Influential Women in Business and Government (Aviation)

2014 - Young People in International Affairs [YPIA] (Top 35 Africans Under 35)

2015 - CEO Communication's Most Influential Women in Business and Government (Aviation)

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• [https://www.gfpafoundation.org/ Girl Fly in Africa Programme]

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Category:Living people

Category:South African aviators

Category:South African women

Category:People from Limpopo

Category:1980 births

Category:Women helicopter pilots