Women’s Day Feature: Tshegofatso Maakoe – Balancing Brilliance
At V3 Consulting Engineers, we celebrate the women who power our mission to improve the lives of communities through infrastructure delivery with their expertise, resilience and dedication. This Women’s Day, we spotlight Tshegofatso Maakoe, a Senior Civil Engineer (PrEng) specialising in civil infrastructure design, geotechnical engineering and project management.
As a Level 1 B-BBEE firm established in 2014, our commitment to transformation is reflected in Tshegofatso’s journey, which embodies our brand promise: Motho Ke Motho Ka Batho (“We are who we are because of others”). Her story of balancing a demanding career, motherhood and personal growth aligns with our vision of inclusive, sustained development, where diversity drives innovation and ethical progress.
A Passion for Positive Change
Tshegofatso’s path into engineering was driven by her desire to solve social, economic and environmental challenges through safe, sustainable infrastructure. Holding a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and an MSc from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, she has made significant contributions to geotechnical research.
Her publications in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series explore the properties of coal ash for road and railway embankments, as well as the liquefaction responses of pond ash—showcasing her expertise in developing resilient transport solutions.
At V3, Tshegofatso applies this knowledge to township development projects such as pavement designs and structural assessments, ensuring they balance affordability with environmental impact.
Studying abroad in China was transformative. “I spent three years pursuing my Master’s Degree, starting with learning the Chinese language to connect deeply with people,” she shares. This passion for building trust gave her insights into China’s progressive infrastructure, which now informs her work at V3 in client advisory, feasibility studies and contract administration—providing tailored, innovative infrastructure solutions.
Milestones and Resilience in a Demanding Field
Achieving ECSA registration as a Professional Engineer (PrEng) was a pivotal moment. “It means society can trust me to provide infrastructure that improves lives,” she says. Tshegofatso has worked on notable projects such as the Kaserne container terminal in Johannesburg—a multidisciplinary initiative contributing to South Africa’s GDP through imports and exports.
Addressing common misconceptions, she notes, “The biggest one is that women are emotional and can’t handle the cut-throat environment of engineering.” Overcoming challenges, including struggles at varsity, was made possible through her mother’s encouragement: “She told me quitting would make it easier to quit in the future.” Inspired by her mother’s achievements, Tshegofatso aspires to be an imbokodo (rock) for her family and the industry.
Balancing Roles: Motherhood, Marriage and Engineering
Recently becoming a mother has added new depth to her journey. “It’s given my life and career more meaning, motivating me to achieve more for my child,” she says.
Balancing her roles as a wife, mom and engineer relies on “effective communication, time management and a strong support system at work and home.” At V3, this is supported by a flexible culture where teamwork enables work-life balance.
No matter how busy she is, she prioritises gym time for calmness and self-care.
Tshegofatso advocates for more structured industry support for women: “There aren’t enough mentorship pairings between experienced and younger female engineers.” If mentoring 10 young women, she says, she would teach resilience and self-belief first.
For her, Women’s Day is “a celebration of women’s strength, tenacity and capability as economic drivers.”
V3’s Empowerment Ethos
Tshegofatso Maakoe’s story reflects V3 Consulting Engineers’ dedication to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity. By fostering mentorship and skills transfer, we empower women to lead in transportation, the built environment and mining projects.
Her balance of professional brilliance and personal fulfilment mirrors our purpose: partnering for growth that uplifts communities through ethical, innovative infrastructure.