The inaugural Women in Project Management Summit 2025 – held in August and hosted by Project Managers Africa – showcased women who contribute positively to the South African industrial and business sector.

An example of how women are driving change in the civil engineering and construction sector is University of Johannesburg civil engineering PhD candidate Tshepiso Mollo.

Mollo, who has ample experience in civil engineering, has contributed to cementing the importance of using chemical and mechanical anchors in civil engineering applications and structures for new infrastructure.

“Anchors are essential components used to transfer loads safely between structural elements – typically connecting steel components to concrete, masonry or rock substrates. They are used in a variety of applications, including structural supports, façade fixings, base plates, reinforcement connections and retrofitting works,” she tells Engineering News.

She adds that construction processes usually rely on two types of anchors – adhesive, or chemical anchors, and mechanical anchors.

Adhesive anchors use a resin-based adhesive, or bonding agent, to ensure a “continuous bond between the anchor rod and the drilled hole”, and are ideal for handling higher load capacities, facilitating improved performance in challenging environments, and when versatility in installation processes is required.

“The installation process typically includes drilling, hole cleaning, injection or [the] placement of bonding material, and insertion of the anchor element before curing. Once installed, the anchors can resist tensile, shear and combined loads under both static and dynamic conditions, depending on the structural design requirements.”

Mollo adds that mechanical anchors can also resist heavy loads and rely on friction and/or the interlock between the anchor and the substrate.

Anchors can also be used to reinforce existing and/or seemingly dilapidated structures. They play an important role in post-installed reinforcement and seismic retrofitting during rehabilitation or strengthening construction projects, she says.

She highlights that the performance of anchors is determined by the substrate type, installation procedure, curing conditions and environmental exposure – all of which are ongoing focus topics in her doctoral research.

Women Empowerment

While the civil engineering and construction industry continues to be male-dominated, Mollo says women are becoming more “intentional” in terms of taking on important operational roles.

“I think we’ve proven enough that we are capable, and now it is more a matter of how we can continue, because there are women that have fought for us, historically.” Further, she adds that, when women are walking into a room, it is important that they avoid self-doubt and rely on the fact that they are good at what they do “because we are here as professionals”.

Mollo adds that continuous education and training for young women in civil engineering is “critical” and must be emphasised so that women are not sidelined as and when the industry progresses.

Project Managers Africa founder and CEO Emmanuels Magaya says the Women in Project Management Summit was established to connect and empower women in industry and business, as well as to showcase their talent and create a platform for them to highlight their contributions to their respective disciplines.

He also notes that it is important to mentor young and upcoming women in project management, as this will empower them to become leaders in their industries.

“The reason [for] us hosting this summit is to recognise women . . . what we do with the Women in Project Management Summit is [create] opportunities for everyone to grow.”

Mollo says true inclusivity – representing the views and knowledge of both men and women – is integral to sustainable growth in the sector.

“No one must be left behind. We (women) have proven a point, but now let us move together with our different perspectives to ensure change in the civil engineering industry,” she concludes.