Women’s Month presents a special opportunity to honour and celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of women who have broken stereotypes, defied societal norms and achieved the seemingly impossible.
Over the years and throughout history, women have proven time and time again that they are forces to be reckoned with; breaking barriers and trailblazing paths in their various chosen fields. From engineering, science and technology to sports and social activism, women’s never-say-die attitude and determination continues to inspire generations.
Samsung celebrates the power and spirit of women from all walks of life, particularly those who have worked to positively change their circumstances and make a significant impact in their respective fields. These are women who share Samsung’s philosophy of “Do What You Can’t” - which calls for never being complacent and achieving the impossible. With a product offering aimed at empowering consumers to realise their ambitions, Samsung stops at nothing in its quest to create innovative technologies to help people do more and enjoy life.
“Our brand exists to create human-driven innovations that defy barriers to make a better world for all. Our intention is to empower people to make meaningful progress; to not only enrich their lives and the lives of others, but also essentially change the world for the better. In our quest to achieve this, we strive for the impossible and want to inspire others to do the same. We recognise the important role that women play in pursuing their own dreams to contribute to these similar goals,” says Dudu Mokholo, chief marketing officer for Samsung Africa.
In paying tribute, Samsung caught up with some of the phenomenal women associated with the brand in various ways and who also believe in “Doing what they can’t”.
One of these women is Soweto-born Innocentia Nkopane. She is a recent graduate of the 24-month Seta-accredited Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Technician Apprenticeship programme sponsored by Samsung and the Ekurhuleni Artisans and Skills Training Centre (EASTC) in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
The apprenticeship programme develops Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skills in artisan training, and creates a portfolio of practical experience and skills in the fight against unemployment.
Nkopane is passionate about technology and fixing things – so when this opportunity arose, she didn’t think twice, despite it being in a male-dominated industry. While on the course, her husband passed away, but she opted to continue studying. It proved to be difficult as she had to juggle it with looking after her children while also grieving her husband; but she was determined to finish what she had started. In addition to the hard skills, some of the lessons Nkopane drew from the course include communication skills, being a team player, active listening and working under pressure.
“Before I got this opportunity, I couldn't use any tools. Now that am a qualified technician, it has opened doors for me as I can now be employed by major companies, build my career or even start my own business, create jobs and share my skills and knowledge,” said Nkopane. She uses her skills to help fix broken refrigerators in and around her community. She also plans to register a company and open a training centre to empower the youth.
Watch Innocentia Nkopane’s empowering “Do What You Can’t” story, in her own words:
“We are thrilled to be associated with great women like Innocentia. We’re immensely proud of her and many other women out there going above and beyond to bring about positive, meaningful change. Our goal with ‘Do What You Can’t’ is to improve people’s everyday lives, to help them do what they can’t, and in turn, improve society. That means enabling people to do what they’d never imagined in order to live a life that’s more connected to the things and people they care about,” concludes Mokholo.