Empowering women at the Cradle of Humankind

Maropeng, the visitor centre to Gauteng’s only World Heritage Site, the Cradle of Humankind, prides itself on educating visitors about humankind’s journey of evolution. The enthusiastic team that works so hard to make the Maropeng experience memorable is made up of many strong, creative and intelligent women.

The majority of staff are women, but Lindsay Marshall, curator and human resources manager at Maropeng for a little more than four years, feels this is indicative of the attributes women bring to the workplace rather than any defined company policy. “Women have such backbone, such strength,” she says. “It is this that makes them succeed at work.” She cites examples of women employed at Maropeng, some single parents, some sole breadwinners, others both, who all manage to bring their special qualities and talents to work, and shine.

Learning and development for staff at Maropeng are key company strategies, according to Marshall. “For instance, here we understand that women might have numerous limitations placed on them at home, but come to work and it’s your chance to show your true potential and use it to learn and grow.”

Marshall’s conviction is that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it. “At Maropeng, my greatest pleasure is seeing women believe they can overcome all obstacles and succeed at anything,” she says with optimism.

General manager Erica Jago says women bring different qualities to the workplace than men: “Men are good at practical planning whereas, because women are natural nurturers, we are more considerate of the welfare of others, and this relates to the different needs of our hotel guests, as well as visitors to Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves.”

Maropeng has an active staff development programme that allows staff to improve professional skills and grow as people.

Ticket office supervisor Maggie Khoza has worked at Maropeng since it opened in 2005, and says that it has been an incredible journey. “I’ve grown so much at Maropeng, and it’s up to me to reach my goals of one day becoming a manager,” she says.

Working in a team with senior women managers also ensures that female staff members feel they are treated equally and their input is acknowledged. “As there are other women supervisors and women on the management team, I can go to my manager with suggestions about my department and they will be heard,” says Khoza.

Housekeeping supervisor Nurse Monnana, who has been part of the team since 2005, says she is proud of how much she has achieved through working at Maropeng.

“I’m really proud of what I do. This job has helped me so much as I’ve been able to send my two sons [age nine and 14] to good schools in North West province. I’ve also been saving so that I can enrol in business and management studies in 2012.”

Win with Maropeng this Women’s Day. Enter our Facebook competition and you could win a lunch date for you and a friend to our Women’s Day Lunch at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel on August 9. All you need to do is comment on our Facebook page and use each letter of the word M.A.R.O.P.E.N.G. to tell us what it means to you to be a woman. Closing date for the competition is August 5.