Basadi Automotive's Malakaone breaking barriers for women in the automotive industry

A trailblazer in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Josephine Malakaone, a young woman from Bramley, Johannesburg, has broken barriers for Black youth and women in the vehicle towing industry.

Josephine grew impatient with the slow pace of transformation after working for large corporates in the automotive sector for ten years. Frustrated by the lack of diversity and under-representation of Black women she witnessed in the industry, she established her own company in late 2019 - Basadi Automotive, which provides towing and fleet movement services. Barely 30 at the time, she was distressed by the country’s chronically high youth unemployment rate and felt compelled to do something about it by starting her own business. Undeterred by a lack of resources, she bought her first truck from an auction, repaired it, and converted it into a tow truck. She then went knocking on doors of corporates that manage large fleets and got her first break with Avis Fleet, which contracted Basadi Automotive to tow vehicles in their fleet. Even when business came to a near standstill with the national lockdown in early 2020 which halted most commercial activities, Josephine persevered, continued knocking on doors and steadily grew her corporate client base.