BREAKING BARRIERS

As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, the spotlight turns to the women who are breaking barriers, challenging convention and are redefining what leadership looks like in industries traditionally dominated by men.

In the fast-moving world of telecommunications and fibre connectivity, women are increasingly taking their place at the table, not simply as participants, but as decision-makers, innovators and leaders shaping the future of the industry.

Among them are CYNK Group Chief Operations Officer Michelle Yunnie and Evotel Media and Brand Manager Nadia Smith, two women whose journeys reflect courage, resilience and the willingness to step beyond the familiar.

Their stories are part of a much bigger narrative unfolding across the CYNK Group, the South African holding and investment company launched in July 2025.

The group brings together Evotel, Net Nine Nine, Magnolia Fibre Tree, Internet for Education and Linklayer, with a shared ambition to expand high-speed digital connectivity while contributing to the upliftment of communities across South Africa.

And behind every fibre connection, successful installation, customer interaction and business decision are people – women and men – working tirelessly to keep South Africans connected.

This Women’s Month, however, the focus is firmly on the women whose passion, expertise and determination are helping to shape that future.

For Kelebohile Makoko, Evotel ISP Coordinator, starting within the Support department, the journey was certainly not conventional.

For many women, entering the telecommunications and fibre industry can feel like stepping into unfamiliar territory.

Personal circumstances prevented her from completing her qualification in IT Software Development, yet, when an opportunity eventually presented itself in the fibre industry, she chose not to allow an unfinished qualification to define her future.

She took the opportunity, learned along the way and built a successful career.

“It’s difficult,” she admits with a laugh.

“Women, in general, are organised, but in this industry anything can happen. You need to have a Plan B, Plan C and Plan D. You already do it at home – now you need to do it in the office. It’s a lot.”

Her experience is a reminder that there is no single route into telecommunications, as the industry needs engineers and technicians, but it also needs people with strong organisational, communication, financial, marketing, operational and leadership skills.

Sometimes, the most important qualification is simply the courage to start.

Yunnie’s own journey into telecommunications demonstrates precisely that.

Coming from a finance background and having spent more than a decade at MultiChoice, she was already comfortable and experienced in an industry she knew intimately.

Then she made a decision that would change the course of her career.

“I worked in one industry for over 10 years. I knew it backwards. I made the decision to leave that comfort and move into a completely new industry, into a role that didn’t previously exist. Looking back, it’s one of the bravest career moves I’ve made.”

It was a move that required courage, but also curiosity and a willingness to embrace something new.

For Yunnie, the potential of uncapped connectivity and what reliable internet access could mean for ordinary households became part of what drew her deeper into the telecommunications space.

Her story challenges women to resist the pressure to remain in places simply because they are familiar.

Her message is simple: be yourself, remain curious and never be afraid to make a meaningful change.

You don’t have to become someone else to succeed. You simply have to understand who you are, what you bring to the table and the difference you want to make.

For Smith, the telecommunications industry was never part of the original plan.

She entered the space almost by accident, initially pursuing a design-related role with little exposure to the demanding and highly technical world of telecommunications.

But what began unexpectedly became a career that has placed her at the centre of Evotel’s brand and marketing journey.

Her path also taught her an important lesson about leadership – you don’t necessarily have to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact.

“It’s about listening as a skill. You don’t always have to be the loudest voice in the room to be heard.”

That philosophy has helped shape her journey, culminating in one of her proudest professional achievements: becoming Evotel’s Brand and Marketing Manager.

For Smith, strength is not always about speaking the most. Sometimes, it is about listening carefully, understanding people and knowing when your voice can make a difference.

And as the world of work continues to evolve, she believes the opportunities for women are growing.

“We’re becoming more female-dominated every day,” she says.

Her advice to women is equally powerful: “You never really know how strong you are until life tests you. So just keep going.”

The stories of Yunnie, Smith and Makoko are different, but they share a common thread – none of them followed a perfectly straight road.

Their journeys demonstrate that careers are built through opportunity, courage, resilience and the willingness to learn.

As Evotel and the wider CYNK Group continue to grow, the contribution of women will remain an important part of that story, from the boardroom to the field, from customer experience to brand building and from operations to innovation.

This Women’s Month, we celebrate the women who refuse to be defined by limitations. – REPORT BY Lebohang Mokhele