Young graduate who stood at traffic lights in search of work lands her 'dream' IT job

A desire to work in the IT industry led a young woman to stand at a busy Johannesburg intersection and ask motorists for employment until she finally landed her “dream” job at a top banking company.

Phathutshedzo Ngwana, 27, had a passion at school for biology and science. After matriculating and getting a thumbs-up from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, she headed to the University of Limpopo to study microbiology and biochemistry in 2016.

The young woman from Limpopo told TimesLIVE how excited and eager she was during her studies and looking forward to working so she could put into practice the knowledge she had acquired. However, she was unexpectedly hit by the reality of unemployment after graduating in 2019.

“Reality hit and I was not expecting that. We always hear that unemployment is hard and you won’t understand until you are out there. It was disheartening and disappointing to realise that reality,” she said.

She remained determined to empower herself and completed short learnership programmes in fields such as retail, finance and IT. She fell in love with IT and opted to explore the industry.

After numerous job applications with no call-backs for an interview, a friend suggested she stand at an intersection with a sign asking motorists for employment.

Ngwana spent months contemplating the idea but feared the dangers of being on the streets every day, such as being kidnapped or hit by a vehicle.

“I had been applying for work online and not getting a response. I realised this is not helping and I need to do something that keeps me going. That is when I went to the streets. It was scary. This is what we are forced to do as unemployed youth,” she said.

In June 2022, Ngwana stood at the corners of Witkoppen and Rivonia roads in Johannesburg in the winter cold from 6am to 4pm while fighting with homeless beggars who tried to chase her away from the intersection.

“The hobos were also fighting with me. I had to make sure I was not in a certain place at the intersection, but others were understanding and didn’t mind. I had to fight with them — a graduate fighting with a hobo for attention from the same people,” she said as she laughed at the thought.

She said despite being frightened about standing at the intersection, she remained motivated. After three days, Ngwana received a call from Investec to submit her CV for an IT learnership.

She passed the interview and three months into her learnership, her performance secured her a permanent position as a system operator.

“It’s changed my life forever and the lives of my family. I can now support my child, my family and take my siblings to school and my parents to doctors when they are sick. Now we can live, instead of living on survival. When I got the job, my mother was the only provider — a shelf packer at a shop. My father and older brother were both retrenched and it was tough.”

Ngwana said she did not intend to return to microbiology and biochemistry and saw her future in IT, despite it being male-dominated.

“The guys have helped train me and advise me, so I can’t complain. I like the challenges of learning something new every day and it is interesting. The opportunities in IT are huge. I am excited for the future and I am enjoying the present.

“I would advise young girls to find that courage and apply for IT. If you are going to be in IT, also get the relevant certificates within the industry that validate your knowledge. It will boost your CV and experience. Build a portfolio for yourself. The IT industry is vast, so choose what you like.”

TimesLIVE