Volvo Trucks: Diversity drives progress, advancing the transport industry

August 24, 2026

This August during Women’s Month, Volvo Trucks (part of the Volvo Group) celebrates the strength, vision and leadership of women from across the local transport industry.

Consciously or subconsciously, gender defines how we see ourselves and each other. It is a fact that in most countries and industries, there are fewer women than men in the fields of engineering and other technical fields. Whilst transport contributes about 6.5% to employment creation in South Africa, women are severely underrepresented and make up only 27.6% of those employed in the sector.

For over a decade, Volvo Group has worked systematically to increase inclusion and improve the gender balance of the organisation. However, equality is not just women’s concern; it’s a business concern.

Transformation is a strategic imperative and a commitment to creating lasting societal change. As an organisation Volvo Group believes there is power in diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity. Volvo Group, Volvo Group Southern Africa is therefore intentionally driving meaningful gender transformation at every level of the business.

“Today, women represent 36% of employees at the professionally qualified, senior management and top management levels within our organisation,” says Karabo Mothibi, Volvo Group Southern Africa’s people and culture director. While this reflects meaningful progress, the organisation has set an ambitious and purposeful goal: to achieve 50% female representation across all levels of the business by 2030. Mothibi believes that achieving this target will require deliberate action, including investing in leadership development, creating equitable career pathways, fostering inclusive workplaces and ensuring that talented women are empowered to realise their full potential.

Volvo Trucks is also committed to intentionally investing in the future of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Across its assembly plant, dealerships and head office, women are already making valuable contributions in roles such as production engineers, millwrights, apprentices, technicians and health and safety officers.

By developing essential STEM skills, the company aims to empower and support young South African women, enabling them to pursue rewarding careers and become the next generation of industry leaders. “Volvo Group’s commitment to gender transformation reflects a broader vision for South Africa: one where women are fully represented in leadership, where talent and potential are nurtured regardless of gender and where we play an active role in shaping a more equitable future,” explains Mothibi.

Iron Women leading the way

Volvo Trucks is also championing greater female participation in the transport industry through its pioneering Iron Women truck driver training programme. Since its launch in 2019, the initiative has empowered 556 women by providing them with the training and qualifications needed to become professional truck drivers.

“Women represent a largely untapped talent pool, and since the inception of Iron Women, we have seen that more and more fleets are now actively recruiting female drivers,” says Onica Ndlovu, director commercial offering at Volvo Trucks South Africa. “Female truck drivers serve as visible role models in communities where girls are still steered away from technical or physical careers. It shifts perceptions for employers, communities and the next generation of girls watching.”

Alicia Wilken is director financial control & accounting at Volvo Trucks South Africa.

The programme is facilitated by the Commercial Transport Academy (CTA). The current intake consists of 15 women, who are part of a 12-month-long driver learnership programme with Goldfields Logistics. “Professional truck drivers work under a level of sustained pressure that is rarely fully recognised. This includes impatient motorists, congested roads, extreme weather and safety risks,” says CEO and founder of CTA, Nicci Scott-Anderson.

“The programme is specifically designed for these women to enter a traditionally male-dominated profession,” she adds. “Not only will they achieve the recognised professional driver qualification, but they’ll also be enabled through additional interventions such as advanced defensive and economical driver training with Volvo Trucks, extended practical driving exposure, visual and cognitive performance development, women’s health and well-being workshops, financial capability and soft-skills development.”

Studies and fleet operator feedback consistently show
that female drivers tend to have fewer accidents, handle cargo more carefully, and demonstrate stronger communication with dispatch and clients. “Our objective wasn’t simply to produce women who had completed a learnership, but rather professional drivers who were technically competent, confident, resilient and better prepared to transition safely and successfully into the workplace,” says Scott-Anderson.

“Women drivers have shown themselves to be extremely resilient; they are not afraid to work hard – often in tough conditions over long hours – to ultimately transport loads safely and efficiently,” says Ndlovu. “For women, truck driving represents a path to financial independence that bypasses traditional qualification barriers. Representation matters. For the trucking industry to thrive, especially in a market like South Africa where logistics infrastructure is critical, it simply can’t afford to ignore half the population.”