A bold South African woman, Sibongile Sambo, for whom South African Airways did not offer a flight attendant job after an interview, has decided to float her own airline company.
Sambo was not offered the flight attendant job because she didn’t meet the minimum height requirement for the position. But for the South African businesswoman, getting more female pilots into the skies is not just her work; it’s her passion.
So she decided to start her own airline business, and she had to sell her car and use her mother’s pension money to set it up.
Today, she is the founder of SRS Aviation, Africa’s first female aviation company.
In 2004, Sambo was commissioned with her first flight for the South African government.
Since then, SRS Aviation has grown to provide personalized services, including helicopter, tourist, and luxury flights to destinations spanning the globe. The Johannesburg-based crew has flown as far as the U.S. and Germany.
In an interview with CNN, the entrepreneur said, “It could be a tourist charter for $1,000 or could be a head of state travelling on a VIP aircraft to the United States, which could be about $200,000.”
Breaking into a male-dominated industry
The business may be high-flying now, but it has seen more turbulent days. For Sambo, breaking into this male-dominated industry and “getting to learn the language” proved challenging.
Despite the difficulties, SRS Aviation received an Air Operating Certificate from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), allowing it to operate commercial flying activities, and has helped three women get their private pilot licenses. They are now employed full-time.
The company has also partnered with MCC Aviation, an established player in the South African aviation business. The deal gives Sambo access to a fleet of aircraft as well as technical and operational support.
“I’m where I am today because somebody invested in me,” she says. “It’s my opportunity now to invest in other people.”
Making strides in Africa
Last year, Ethiopia Airlines dispatched its first flight run by an entirely female crew in a bid to encourage more African women into aviation. Sambo wants more South African women to join the effort and make it big as jet pilots.
Current growth plans for her company include expanding SRS Aviation helicopter services and its operations across the African continent.
“What I’m proud of about our company is that we have managed to penetrate the male-dominated industry,” she adds. “Aviation is growing in Africa. We are going to grow with the growth in Africa.”
