ASAVELA GANTO: Production Planner at Ebor Automotive Systems Port Elizabeth

#AutomotiveAllies: Asavela Ganto, nominated by Nigel Bennet and Luke Watkins, is a Production Planner at Ebor Automotive Systems. Born and bred in a small town called Alice, she holds a National Diploma in Logistics and an Advanced Diploma in Business Studies: Logistics Management from the Nelson Mandela University. Asavela joined the Ebor Family in 2018 September as a trainee shortly after graduating and developed to her current position.

When she started, her knowledge about cars, how they are made, and what components are needed was very minimal.  The experience she has gained over the past year and nine months have provided a solid base for great development. As Production Planner, Asavela is responsible for coordinating production workflow for production, planning to ensure maximum performance and striving to minimise delays to meet the required customer demands.

Despite the automotive industry often being perceived to lack diversity, Asavela has found that the beauty of the industry is, in fact, the diverse group of people that she gets to work with. Having a diverse workforce, redefining gender representation within the workplace, and encouraging teamwork benefit everyone. This is something Asavela’s manager, Luke Watkins, and the rest of the Ebor Team encourage, creating a culture that requires team effort which has helped build Asavela’s confidence. Despite being a young, new woman in the industry, Asavela has received enormous support, mentorship, and opportunities to advance her skills.

Asavela’s advice to her younger self and other women entering the industry:

Regardless of where you come from and what you have, do not limit yourself, be patient, be focused, and seize every opportunity. Expand your knowledge and never underestimate your capabilities. Be humble, ask for help, and do not be afraid to express yourself.

Within a male-dominated sector, as women, we often feel the pressure. It then becomes difficult for us to express ourselves. We need to step up and make sure that our voices are heard. We are the agents of change. We need to celebrate each other’s successes and build each other to become more competitive. We need to push each other into Senior Management positions.

Women are indeed the Future.