Keene Nkoane (45) is celebrated as the first woman in engineering to have risen through the ranks to the level of Debswana Senior Engineering Manager based at Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM).
It all started in 1996 after Nkoane realised that she had done extremely well in her O’ level - General Certificate of Education (GCE). She had no intentions of settling for less, but decided to pursue an extraordinary career, one that would set her apart from the rest.
“I had done well in pretty much everything and I knew that meant I can do anything I wanted. You know people are often restricted by their results and find themselves put into a corner and having to choose. I had done very well and that meant choosing an uncommon path, not something that could be done by anybody," Nkoane told Sun Sparkle in an interview.
At first, she had no idea what Electrical and Electronics were. It just sounded interesting to her, and she knew she could do it because she had passed her sciences.
“I cannot say it was something that I had always wanted to do. No, I had not heard much about it. It just looked interesting to me! Most importantly, I had never heard of any girl who had done it before,” she said.
It was then that she got sponsored by Debswana to pursue her A’ levels for two years before pursuing her first degree. After completing her BEng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronics from Nottingham University, United Kingdom, Nkoane joined Debswana in 2003 based in Jwaneng Mine.
The Maun-born has been working for Debswana for more than 20 years and remains proud of the transformative agenda that the business is pursuing to include women in positions of leadership particularly in areas which have for long been male-dominated.
For her, being a female Senior Engineering Manager provides a beacon of hope and possibility for young girls and upcoming lady engineers. It is also an opportunity to challenge herself and skill-sets to demonstrate that women are equally capable.
Before her appointment as Senior Engineering Manager, Nkoane was based at Debswana Corporate Centre as Principal Engineer - Asset Management. She holds BSc (HONS) Degree in Physical Asset Management from University of Pretoria, completed Oxford Women’s leadership development programme and Asset Management Professional Development Programme.
Nkoane confirms that at the start of her career, the environment was not very much receptive of women, largely due to culture and perception at the time. Culture says a woman belongs in the kitchen and this is how children are raised. When they get to the workplace, they carry what they were taught from a young age.
“My boss recently shared with me that one time when I was a maintenance engineer in Jwaneng and he had come there to check on work progress, the senior manager at that time complained saying how can there be progress when plants are being run by little girls!
“It seems he was bothered by the fact that I was there, yet he had no problem in the plants being run by little boys. I guess I came with knowledge that my gender will be used to look down on me and I was prepared,” she said.
Things are now changing. She is gratified that there is appreciation that women are equally capable as she receives immense support across the business.
Nonetheless, she believes more can still be done.
“We have women coming in, but they seem to change direction and do softer skills like business intelligence. They branch off to do something different. Majority of them branched off to do something different and I never understood why,” she said.
She then took it upon herself to find out and after engaging with some of her friends who decided to just change paths, she realised that many did not like masculine tones in the boardroom.
However, the boardroom has since improved and changed therefore, women need not be scared anymore. Young engineers should stick to the core and normalise assuming positions of leadership in what used to be a male-dominated area.
Nkoane noted that times of having to carry huge spanners in the mine are gone, as technology has made things easier. They now use automated components and tools which displaces the physical strength that was needed in the pas. Now all that is required is mental strength.
She says Botswana needs to be intentional about attracting women by starting from the grassroots, teaching young girls that they can also choose male dominated careers like engineering. Nkoane has observed and is bothered by how the country is busy pushing quotas to have females in male dominated fields.
“We are supposed to get the woman to compete with the men not filling in the numbers, that is where we are getting it wrong. And if we continue like that, we will end up frustrating them and the business because some will come in but not qualified, again we can even discourage men in the process, but we are looking for diversity,” she said.
Having over 700 people under her leadership, Nkoane indicates that settling into the portfolio has been a fulfilling journey, where she inspires the team to do things differently and push them to a new level of performance.
As a Senior Manager Nkoane leads a vast portfolio responsible for the asset care of all fixed and mobile plants equipment, Water and Power reticulation systems, Plants and Mining Control systems and Management of multiple Business Partners engaged by Engineering Department.
She is also the lead contact person linking Mmatshumo village with the mine while also growing the employee volunteerism initiatives at the village. Her job is very demanding and sees her spending limited time with loved ones.
She is a mother of four and the youngest is only two years old. “She demands a lot of attention, and I am not always there to give it to her. I am very thankful to my husband because he takes over when I am unable to be there for the children,” she said.
Nkoane said having a supportive partner is very important because it lessens the burden, raising children and being a wife is not an easy job for career women because they need to deliver at the workplace and also ensure that the household is stable.
“Sometimes this sees women slack or progress slower than their male counterparts because when a woman is home nursing her new-born child, men advance. But this should not derail women from their dreams because with determination and focus, they can always catch up,” Nkoane advised.
It all started in 1996 after Nkoane realised that she had done extremely well in her O’ level - General Certificate of Education (GCE). She had no intentions of settling for less, but decided to pursue an extraordinary career, one that would set her apart from the rest.
“I had done well in pretty much everything and I knew that meant I can do anything I wanted. You know people are often restricted by their results and find themselves put into a corner and having to choose. I had done very well and that meant choosing an uncommon path, not something that could be done by anybody," Nkoane told Sun Sparkle in an interview.
At first, she had no idea what Electrical and Electronics were. It just sounded interesting to her, and she knew she could do it because she had passed her sciences.
“I cannot say it was something that I had always wanted to do. No, I had not heard much about it. It just looked interesting to me! Most importantly, I had never heard of any girl who had done it before,” she said.
It was then that she got sponsored by Debswana to pursue her A’ levels for two years before pursuing her first degree. After completing her BEng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronics from Nottingham University, United Kingdom, Nkoane joined Debswana in 2003 based in Jwaneng Mine.
The Maun-born has been working for Debswana for more than 20 years and remains proud of the transformative agenda that the business is pursuing to include women in positions of leadership particularly in areas which have for long been male-dominated.
For her, being a female Senior Engineering Manager provides a beacon of hope and possibility for young girls and upcoming lady engineers. It is also an opportunity to challenge herself and skill-sets to demonstrate that women are equally capable.
Before her appointment as Senior Engineering Manager, Nkoane was based at Debswana Corporate Centre as Principal Engineer - Asset Management. She holds BSc (HONS) Degree in Physical Asset Management from University of Pretoria, completed Oxford Women’s leadership development programme and Asset Management Professional Development Programme.
Nkoane confirms that at the start of her career, the environment was not very much receptive of women, largely due to culture and perception at the time. Culture says a woman belongs in the kitchen and this is how children are raised. When they get to the workplace, they carry what they were taught from a young age.
“My boss recently shared with me that one time when I was a maintenance engineer in Jwaneng and he had come there to check on work progress, the senior manager at that time complained saying how can there be progress when plants are being run by little girls!
“It seems he was bothered by the fact that I was there, yet he had no problem in the plants being run by little boys. I guess I came with knowledge that my gender will be used to look down on me and I was prepared,” she said.
Things are now changing. She is gratified that there is appreciation that women are equally capable as she receives immense support across the business.
Nonetheless, she believes more can still be done.
“We have women coming in, but they seem to change direction and do softer skills like business intelligence. They branch off to do something different. Majority of them branched off to do something different and I never understood why,” she said.
She then took it upon herself to find out and after engaging with some of her friends who decided to just change paths, she realised that many did not like masculine tones in the boardroom.
However, the boardroom has since improved and changed therefore, women need not be scared anymore. Young engineers should stick to the core and normalise assuming positions of leadership in what used to be a male-dominated area.
Nkoane noted that times of having to carry huge spanners in the mine are gone, as technology has made things easier. They now use automated components and tools which displaces the physical strength that was needed in the pas. Now all that is required is mental strength.
She says Botswana needs to be intentional about attracting women by starting from the grassroots, teaching young girls that they can also choose male dominated careers like engineering. Nkoane has observed and is bothered by how the country is busy pushing quotas to have females in male dominated fields.
“We are supposed to get the woman to compete with the men not filling in the numbers, that is where we are getting it wrong. And if we continue like that, we will end up frustrating them and the business because some will come in but not qualified, again we can even discourage men in the process, but we are looking for diversity,” she said.
Having over 700 people under her leadership, Nkoane indicates that settling into the portfolio has been a fulfilling journey, where she inspires the team to do things differently and push them to a new level of performance.
As a Senior Manager Nkoane leads a vast portfolio responsible for the asset care of all fixed and mobile plants equipment, Water and Power reticulation systems, Plants and Mining Control systems and Management of multiple Business Partners engaged by Engineering Department.
She is also the lead contact person linking Mmatshumo village with the mine while also growing the employee volunteerism initiatives at the village. Her job is very demanding and sees her spending limited time with loved ones.
She is a mother of four and the youngest is only two years old. “She demands a lot of attention, and I am not always there to give it to her. I am very thankful to my husband because he takes over when I am unable to be there for the children,” she said.
Nkoane said having a supportive partner is very important because it lessens the burden, raising children and being a wife is not an easy job for career women because they need to deliver at the workplace and also ensure that the household is stable.
“Sometimes this sees women slack or progress slower than their male counterparts because when a woman is home nursing her new-born child, men advance. But this should not derail women from their dreams because with determination and focus, they can always catch up,” Nkoane advised.
