Southern Star Logistics has taken a significant step toward reshaping the transport and logistics industry in the country. The company has officially launched its #TruckHer Campaign, an initiative designed to empower women and open up new opportunities in truck driving.
The launch held at the company’s premises brought together industry leaders, partners, and stakeholders to mark the start of a movement aimed at rewriting the narrative of women in transport.
Southern Star currently employs 10 women drivers, eight in the agricultural sector and two in the fuel industry. However, the company has faced challenges in sourcing qualified women drivers for heavy-duty fuel trucks due to strict requirements, including holding a heavy-duty license for at least five years and demonstrating equivalent driving experience.
The campaign, according to Nicholas De Waal, Managing Director of Southern Star, is more than a one-off event.
“This is not only just a campaign but a commitment that Southern Star is making going forward, taking the lead in empowering women,” he said. “We realized the pipeline was drying up. There weren’t many women meeting the experience requirement, so we decided to create that pipeline ourselves. That’s why we are launching #TruckHer.”
The campaign seeks to address this shortage by recruiting, training, and mentoring 50 women drivers, thereby expanding the pool of qualified female truck drivers in Eswatini and the region. The programme will begin with 10 students who will undergo a year of comprehensive training, helping them develop their skills and reach their full potential as professional truck drivers.
According to the company’s Human Resources (HR) and Training Officer, Nokuphila Mthethwa, the campaign follows a structured multi-stage process to ensure women are adequately prepared for the profession.
Recruitment began with an online application link published on Southern Star’s Unitrans website, where more than 50 women responded, showing just how much interest and demand exist for such opportunities.
From there, applicants were taken through an assessment stage, where they wrote a Literacy and Numeracy test to determine their readiness. Out of the first group of 10 candidates, six passed outright, while four were given the chance to retake the test, an inclusive decision that reflects Southern Star’s commitment to not leaving anyone behind.
Chairman of Southern Star Logistics, Wayne Levendale, emphasized that the campaign is about long-term empowerment rather than ticking boxes.
“We’ve always welcomed women drivers, but prerequisites often locked them out. When we say we want a minimum of five years driving experience in a similar environment, automatically out of 100 women, we’ve excluded 99 of them,” he said.
“With #TruckHer, we are creating opportunities ourselves; mentoring, training, and equipping women with the skills they need to thrive. After training, they can stay with us or pursue opportunities elsewhere. Either way, we’ve contributed to the growth of the industry.”
Currently, Southern Star employs over 400 people across its fuel, cement, agricultural, and sugar operations, with approximately 200 drivers across the business. The #TruckHer target of 50 women is seen as just the beginning of a broader transformation.
The campaign has drawn praise from the business community. E. Nathi Dlamini, CEO of Business Eswatini, commended the initiative as a step toward inclusive growth. “By empowering women in logistics, Southern Star is not just transforming careers but communities. This enhances financial independence, drives innovation, and contributes to the broader prosperity of Eswatini,” he said.
For Southern Star, the campaign represents more than skills training. It is a cultural shift that challenges stereotypes and opens doors. As Nokuphila Mthethwa noted: “This is not just about learning to drive a truck, it is about rewriting the narrative of what women can and cannot do. #TruckHer is more than a campaign; it is a movement, a promise that women belong on the road, behind the wheel, and at the heart of progress.”