Adt steers nontokozo in a new direction

ADT Operator, Nontokozo Ngwenya

Getting behind the wheel of a yellow machine has shifted Nontokozo Ngwenya’s perspective about where she sees herself in future.  By day, she works as an Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) operator navigating the open pit at Khanye Colliery.  After hours, Nontokozo focuses on her teaching degree, which she is pursuing remotely through UNISA.

Working at Khanye put teaching in the backseat and inspired Nontokozo to explore opportunities in mining. “I plan to finish my studies, but my dream is to continue working here. After finishing my teaching degree, I want to learn something mining-related like health and safety,” she says.

After matriculating from Mahlenga Secondary School in Sokhulumi, Bronkhorstspruit, she pursued a higher certificate in education at UNISA and proceeded to enrol for a degree in teaching. When she saw the opportunity to receive training through Khanye’s ADT skills training programme, she kept an open mind and applied.  

While waiting for her participation in the programme to be confirmed, she secured a job as a cashier at a retail grocery store.  A few months later, she was informed that the programme would start. Excited, Nontokozo left the retail job and began her journey to become an ADT operator. She was appointed at the beginning of 2026 after completing her training. “Every shift reminds me that as women, we are stronger than what most people think,” Nontokozo Concludes.