Henkel South Africa appoints its first female plant manager

Thelma Mamatlepa was appointed the head of Henkel South Africa’s plant in Alrode, making history as the company’s first female manager of consumer goods and industrial operations.

Despite not choosing this as her profession, Mamatlepa is a University of Johannesburg graduate with a Bachelor of Technology in chemical engineering and a master’s in engineering management.

She said she had always wanted to be a doctor but pursued her second choice of chemical engineering instead of medicine because of worries that the Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa), where she was on the waiting list, would take too long to get back to her. The rest is history.

Henkel’s company culture and strategy are rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. The organisation is dedicated to achieving gender parity across all managerial roles by 2025 and is working to increase gender diversity.

Mamatlepa has not stopped learning since earning her Master’s Degree and has enrolled in the Wits’ MBA programme. Her other credentials include being a black belt trained practitioner of Six Sigma, a lean manufacturing and continuous improvement certification that combines classroom instruction and fieldwork, and many short management courses from the University of Stellenbosch.

In her longer than 17-year career, Mamatlepa has held positions with Johnson Matthey South Africa, Air Liquide, and African Explosives and Chemical. She began working at Henkel South Africa in 2022 as a manufacturing manager. In 2024, the company promoted her to plant manager.

Mamatlepa said there were significant expectations placed on women in the profession as she considered her promotion to what is ultimately a male-dominated field.

“Being a woman in this industry is extremely demanding because you are constantly required to prove yourself and work harder than your male counterparts. My predecessor spent nine years in the position, so it was challenging to come into an environment with a certain way of doing things for so long.

“Also, as a woman, you must earn a level of respect men seem automatically to command. As women, we are often seen as strict when we just stand our ground and own our decisions as managers and leaders,” she said.

Mamatlepa is grateful Henkel South Africa has recognised her abilities and experience and that they have faith in her drive and suitability for this role. She encourages girls to believe in themselves as more women blaze their trails in the industry.

“Just follow your passion. There is nothing of which to be afraid. It can be intimidating to work with men in this industry, but women can coexist with them without compromising their femininity and losing their identity in the process.

“We do not need to act like men to succeed; we can just be ourselves. The industry is slowly transforming, and diversity and gender equality are more apparent in our workplaces. Times have changed, and the industry has and continues to evolve,” she concluded.