Sweetness determined to achieve engineering dream

Gugulethu Electrical Engineering Intern, Sweetness Thandaza Sibeko

Sweetness Thandaza Sibeko is an electrical engineering intern at Gugulethu with aspirations to become a successful engineer in the mining industry. Born and raised in Mooivlei Farm near Hendrina in Mpumalanga, her upbringing influenced her career as an electrician.

“Growing up, my uncle was an electrician, so the only language that we spoke at home was electricity,” she says. After matriculating from Middelburg Combined School in 2012, she took a gap year, and a few years later, she pursued an electrical engineering diploma from Nkangala TVET College, which she completed in 2022.

Coming from a mining community, Sweetness had an inkling that she would enjoy working in the sector. She obtained Competent Person A and Blasting Assistant certificates from the Colliery Training College to prepare for possible mining industry opportunities. After being retrenched early in 2025, her qualifications and experience made her an ideal candidate for the internship. She is learning a lot, including familiarising herself with the mine’s electrical reticulation system. Sweetness has a clear vision for her career: to be an engineer and industry leader.