Refilwe Ledwaba

What does your company do?

Girls Fly Africa (GFA), a registered non-profit (NPO), and public benefit organisation (PBO) is dedicated to fostering sustainable economic empowerment, leadership, and personal development among youth, particularly girls and women, in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), focusing on the aviation and aerospace industry. The organisation offers valuable resources such as information on educational and career opportunities, personalised mentorship from industry professionals, hands-on workshops that foster practical skills, and targeted training programs that build confidence and expertise. By providing these resources, GFA aims to enhance young women and girls' economic and social independence, ultimately paving the way for a more inclusive and diverse future in the aviation and aerospace industry.

What is your biggest success?

Our greatest achievements have been our impact which began even before the establishment of GFA in 2017, as we initially launched our programmes informally, particularly Phase 1 of our initiative, which focuses on raising awareness and generating excitement. Over the years, we have positively influenced more than 500,000 boys and girls through various outreach initiatives, career exhibitions, and hands-on workshops. We have successfully engaged 100,000 youth in our specialised aviation and aerospace workshops. Additionally, over 600 girls participated in our aviation and aerospace camp, which included job shadowing opportunities, leading to more than 100 young women qualifying as engineers, pilots, and drone pilots through our targeted skills development initiatives.We were profiled by BBC as one of the 8 innovators in Africa, profiled by CNN, Malal fund , profiled in the innovation of the world book and many other publications

What has been your biggest hurdle?

As we strive to scale our operations, we recognise potential risks and challenges. Two key challenges stand out: securing funding to support our growth and building a team with the necessary skills to manage this expansion effectively. As a small nonprofit organisation, we have made a significant impact with a modest budget, thanks mainly to the dedication of our staff, which includes a considerable number of volunteers. We are fortunate to have over 200 volunteers actively supporting our various programmes. While our reliance on volunteer efforts has enabled us to drive meaningful change, this model presents challenges as we pursue growth. To address the risks associated with funding, we have initiated a comprehensive redesign of our financial model. We are actively exploring a variety of funding sources, including strategies to increase our revenue generation, including the establishment of an aerospace academy .