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to encourage young women into STEM careers, whatever their background. Ledwaba organises the programme for this organisation every year: introducing women into the idea of flying as a career, as well as coding and robotics. It organises lessons and training camps for young women in
Botswana, Cameroon
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in
Biochemistry with the intent to become a doctor. However, whilst at university she flew for the first time, and decided to pursue a career in aviation. She began working as cabin crew for South African Airways; while working for them she wrote to over two hundred aviation companies asking them for
118:(SAPS). She received her pilot's wings on 11 January 2006, aged 26. During her time in SAPS she flew over 2500 hours, recovered dead bodies from remote places and undertook solo reconnaissance missions. She is a qualified fixed wing instructor.
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and South Africa. As of 2019, over 100,000 young women had participated in GFAP. She credits her upbringing, led by strong women in apartheid South Africa, as inspiration for her success. In 2009 she set up the
130:(SAWIA) group, to support women working in aviation. Ledwaba has publicly called for the sector to employ more women, especially women of colour at strategic levels in aviation.
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opportunities to train. The South
African Police Force offered to pay for her training and support her wish to become a commercial pilot, so she took them up on their job offer.
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and is one of seven children. Her mother worked as a teacher while bringing her children up by herself. Her sisters all went to university. She studied for a BSc at the
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406:"South Africa's first black female helicopter pilot helps girls reach new heights in the aviation and aerospace industry — Assembly | Malala Fund"
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Ledwaba is the first black woman from South Africa to fly a helicopter and she is also the first black woman to fly for the
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2015 - CEO Communication's Most
Influential Women in Business and Government (Aviation)
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2012 - CEO Communication's Most
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223:"This South African pilot is on a mission to change the face of aviation in Africa"
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2014 - Young People in
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Kearns, Suzanne K.; Mavin, Timothy J.; Hodge, Steven (8 November 2019).
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193:"Meet South Africa's first black female police pilot, Refilwe Ledwaba"
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Goalkeeper, a role she uses to advocate for women's rights in Africa.
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In 2019, Ledwaba was a co-signatory on a letter addressed to
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Engaging the next generation of aviation professionals
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303:"The female pilot teaching African women to fly"
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434:(First ed.). London.
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537:"Leaders: Africa 2019"
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151:in 2019. Ledwaba is a
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512:"Refilwe Ledwaba"
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