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operations teams, customers, suppliers and families. Understanding both sides of that equation matters."

She believes organisations wanting women in senior positions need to create genuine opportunities for them to develop the experience. This means exposure to operational and commercial roles, offering training and mentorship, and entrusting women with responsibility for teams, budgets and business decisions. Senior leaders must also identify potential and actively support career progression.

"You can't say you want more women in leadership if you're not creating the opportunities to get there," she says.

Building the next generation of women in logistics

Looking ahead, Mbethe wants to see more women entering logistics at junior operational level and developing the practical knowledge to progress into senior management. This requires moving past the perception that transport is simply about driving trucks and understanding the many functions that keep a fleet moving.

"If we want more women running transport operations in 10 or 15 years' time, we need women gaining that experience today," she says. "You can't manufacture operational experience when someone reaches senior management — it has to be built over time."

She encourages young women to be curious and put themselves forward for opportunities, even when they do not yet feel completely prepared.

"Nobody is born knowing how a truck works. You learn. Ask questions, spend time with the people who know more than you do and don't be embarrassed about what you don't know."

For Mbethe, progress will be evident when women leading transport operations, owning logistics businesses, and sitting on executive committees no longer seem unusual. Ultimately, she believes the sector must focus on building a pipeline of talent throughout the industry.

"Companies must open the doors and create genuine pathways to leadership, but as women, when those doors open, we also have to be willing to walk through them, learn the business, and take on the responsibility that comes with leadership.

"Logistics is tough, fast-moving and sometimes unforgiving, but it is also an incredibly interesting industry. If you are willing to learn the ropes, work hard, and get your hands dirty, there's no reason you shouldn't eventually be the person running the operation!" she concludes.

Lebo Mbethe, Group Executive at Reinhardt Transport Group, shares her experience within the logistics industry to show the strides being made by women in the sector.