Fixing gender perceptions with a spanner

. . . she specialises in German car brands

Fatima Bulla-Musakwa

Gender and Community Editor

MS GRACIOUS MAPONDERA is a defiant woman.

She is currently excelling in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Additionally, she is not just a motor mechanic but a specialist in German car brands.

And, over the years, Ms Mapondera has duly earned the nickname “Mama Germany”.

She can fix all manner of mechanical problems, from attending to vehicle suspensions and engines to dealing with cases of high fuel consumption.

While her interest in dismantling electronic gadgets hinted at a mechanical aptitude early on, societal norms initially discouraged her pursuit of this “unconventional” path.

Her passion, however, was unwavering.

Driven by a desire to learn, she found an unlikely mentor, the father of a high school friend, who recognised her talent and allowed her to observe and assist in his garage.

“During weekends, I would sneak out of the house, saying I was going to study, yet I would head to that garage,” Ms Mapondera told The Sunday Mail last week.

“My interest there was just the fact that my friend’s father would ask me to pass him a spanner here and there as he mended his clients’ vehicles.”

Following her Ordinary Level examinations, a trip to Botswana presented an unexpected opportunity.

Open-minded individuals there, including her brother, recognised her potential and provided the encouragement she needed.

“I had gone to Botswana after completing my Ordinary Level examinations to look for a job as a maid,” she continued.

“There, I met open-minded people who took my passion for motor mechanics seriously.

“One of them was my brother, who then started grooming me a year later when he realised that I was determined to work in that field.”

However, he initially offered her an administrative role at the garage.

He was reluctant to let a woman work alongside male mechanics.

Undeterred, Ms Mapondera would sneak into the workshop to gain practical experience.

“I would sneak out of the office and go to the workshop, where I would explore the mechanical problems of vehicles that were being fixed there.

“Since then, I have never looked back,” she said.

After four years in Botswana, she returned to Zimbabwe, armed with a wealth of practical knowledge.

She then began distributing her business cards to prospective clients within the Harare central business district (CBD) and surrounding areas.

She now holds a Class 1 diesel plant fitter qualification and awaits her trade test, a final hurdle before acquiring a journeyman’s card.

“I decided to specifically focus on vehicles made in Germany because the money you charge for the sophisticated vehicles is attractive,” she said.

“I also discovered that there was a gap within the industry because most mechanics are reluctant to work on German vehicles, maybe because they fear that they are complicated.  That reluctance is what inspired me to want to discover where the complications with these vehicles actually lie.”

Ms Mapondera sees a secure future in the trade.

She said her profession has allowed her to not only support herself and her family but also contribute to her community.

However, navigating a male-dominated field presented its initial challenges.

Building trust among clients proved difficult as some doubted a woman’s capability.

Considering how clients place great value in their vehicles, Ms Mapondera ensures that when she gets a vehicle, she completely focuses on doing a thorough job of diagnosing the problem and solving it.

Her fledgling enterprise has, however, not been spared the current economic challenges.

The once steady flow of jobs has slowed down, requiring her to adapt.

“I used to get jobs almost daily so much that at times I would not find time to go to church. But now, because of the tough economic environment, the jobs are fewer.

“Sometimes I get two or three vehicles to fix a week.”

She has also found that working in a male-dominated field comes with its unique hurdles.

Clients may attempt to negotiate rates based on their perception of the repairs’ complexity or, unfortunately, refuse to pay solely because they are dealing with a woman.

“For instance, when I visit a client’s place to fix their vehicle, at times they calculate the time I take solving the problem and if I take only a short time, they think that I was solving a minor problem.

“They then use that to bargain for a lower charge.

“Then there are those who don’t want to pay simply because they are dealing with a woman.”

A significant obstacle for her business is the lack of a permanent workshop.

Presently, she provides a mobile service, travelling to clients’ locations.

This not only limits the number of vehicles she can service daily but also discourages some potential customers who perceive a mobile operation as less professional.

Unreliable colleagues who offer and then withdraw workspace further hinder her ability to establish a fixed base.

There is also the odd challenge of inappropriate behaviour from some male clients who mistake her professionalism for romantic interest.

Maintaining a firm and professional stance in such situations, she said, oftentimes leads to insults.

“For me, when it’s business, I focus on business.

“My relationship with a client is built on the vehicle they need to be fixed and the money . . .”

Born in Ruwa, Ms Mapondera is the only girl in a family of five.

Today, the family that once questioned her path now stands beside her, their initial doubts replaced by unbridled admiration.

 X: @BullaFatima