After being told she was too short to fly in the air force, Nandi Moloko rerouted her path and rose to the flight deck at SAA.
There is one career incident that stands out for South African Airways (SAA) pilot and first officer Nandi Moloko.
A disembarking passenger went into the cockpit to compliment the captain for a wonderful flight and landing.
After the male captain graciously said it was his co-pilot, Moloko, who deserved the accolades, the passenger – also male – asked her if she was a cabin crew member.
Clad in a pilot’s uniform and still seated on the right side of the cockpit, Moloko was stumped.
“It blew my mind how some people in this day and age still can’t accept that females are in different spaces,” Moloko tells The Citizen.
She has been in the male-dominated aviation industry for more than a decade and longs for the day when more women claim their place in the cockpit.
Flying seed was planted
Now 38, Moloko was 14 years old when the seed of becoming a pilot was planted in her heart.
She had attended her first airshow at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria in Grade 9.
“I remember watching the air displays and seeing an aerobatic display for the first time. As young as I was, I remember asking myself ‘what is stopping me from becoming the person in that aircraft at the controls,’” she says.
“And that is where it all started. I was just fascinated at all the different types of aircraft and seeing how majestic it all looked.”
At that time, there were very few female pilots to look up to. However, seeing Annabel Vundla on TV one day solidified Moloko’s dream of becoming a pilot.
ALSO READ: 40 years of Kagiso Trust: Real stories of real women changing SA
Vundla is SAA’s and the country’s first black female captain.
A dream deferred
Armed with ambition and doses of determination, Moloko joined the military after matric with the intention of becoming an air force pilot.
But her dream was dashed when she was told she was too short. So, instead, she studied towards an aircraft instrument mechanic qualification via the air force.
“It’s not something I wanted to do, but I took the opportunity because it was basically in the same industry that I wanted to end up in. So, I took it as a detour… I might as well learn how to fix an aircraft before flying it.
“I did it for five years and I didn’t really enjoy it. But I learned a lot from it, which has now, in hindsight, helped me so much because of my technical know-how and the background.”
Moloko then enrolled at Babcock Central Flying Academy based at Grand Central airport in Midrand, Gauteng, at the time, where she obtained her private pilot licence.
She was subsequently lucky enough to be part of the South African Express Airline cadet programme and finished her training at 43 Air School in the Eastern Cape, where she qualified as a commercial pilot.
A mother like hers
Moloko says her most memorable and prized moment is when she flew her mother, Jabhile Mbele, 58, for the very first time.
“I still remember how she sat in silence, watching me operate. She has been my biggest supporter from the onset and has gone through this journey with me from day one.”
Mbele is also on the top of her list of positive female examples around her.
“My mom has shown me what a strong resilient woman is. Throughout the years, I’ve seen her navigate through different and difficult circumstances with such poise and grace,” Moloko says.
ALSO READ: Barbara Creecy’s passion to serve
“Not forgetting to always look good and stylish throughout it all.”
And now as a mother to a three-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy herself, she has the chance to be that example to her own children, and those who come after them.
The women who paved the way
Moloko has worked her way up the ranks and says next on her prospects is becoming an SAA captain.
She counts Vundla, Captain Asnath Mahal, Captain Tshegofatso Rammutla and Puleng Cadribo as the women of colour who paved the way for her and many others.
“I’ve had the privilege of operating with most of them and it’s like flying with your older sister whom you look up to. They are now all colleagues and friends.”
Overcoming challenges
The journey has not been without challenges. She was furloughed at Mango Airlines during the Covid-19 years when the company faced financial difficulties, and has had to prove herself worthy in a male-dominated industry.
But thanks to having a good head on her shoulders, her husband, and their family members, she’s managed to push through.
She says balancing being a wife, a mother and a pilot was a big adjustment.
“Pilots are shift workers, so my working hours are not your typical nine-to-five.
“What motivates me even when things get tough or I’m too tired is that there are moms who I know and work with currently. They give me hope that it will all work out in the end.”
Moloko says she would love to see more females in the industry as a whole – in senior positions and owning companies in the different aviation sectors.
NOW READ: FlySafair pilots and management meet to table new proposal
