Major Mandisa Nomcebo Mfeka was born and raised in Ntuzuma township, KwaZulu-Natal. She realised her love for aviation when she was 5 years old.
She joined the South African Air Force (SAAF), in 2008 and in 2010 she started flying at the Central Flying School in Langebaan; in 2011 she got her wings.
At age 29, Major Mfeka grabbed headlines as she swooped over the Loftus Versfeld Stadium at the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration as part of the Hawks formation.
Major Mfeka says her journey as a Combat Pilot really shifted her perspective about what aviation and what being a military practitioner looked like. Nonetheless, she believes that becoming a Combat Pilot has been an amazing experience.
Speaking about her journey to becoming a combat pilot, Major Mfeka said, “It has been an amazing experience. This is such a dynamic environment and so mentally stimulating. I love it because I’m growing in my technical expertise and learning more about aerodynamics.”
Major Mfeka joins the ranks of another female pioneer, Second Lieutenant Thokozile Muwamba, who also made history in 2017 by becoming Zambia’s first female fighter pilot.
At the time Muwamba told the local newspaper Times of Zambia, “Men are not the competition but counterparts that one should work with. Women should begin to participate and realise their abilities. Because of this understanding, I am ready to undertake the task ahead of me. “
‘I look at the fact that when I am in the aeroplane, the aircraft knows no sex. Everything depends on my input, no matter my gender.” She said.
One quote that Major Mfeka lives by is, “The sky is the baseline.” Which means, the excellence bar that you pushed yesterday should be your starting point, tomorrow.
We celebrate you Major Mfeka
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