Anele Ndimande - she has taught plumbing at Westville Correctional Services Medium C and helped train eThekwini Municipality plumbing learners
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At just 23 years old, Anele Ndimande from Bonela in Cato Manor is breaking barriers in the male-dominated plumbing industry while building a future for herself, her daughter, and young people across KwaZulu-Natal through skills development.
Ndimande has launched her own plumbing company, Lukasi Projects Pty Ltd.
A qualified plumber, facilitator, assessor, first aider, and work‑at‑height safety harness inspector, she currently works with Sebenza Training and Empowerment Centre as a plumbing facilitator and dreams of launching a mobile training college that will bring practical skills directly into underserved communities.
Her journey, however, began amidst challenging circumstances.
Growing up in a family of six, Ndimande said life became extremely difficult after both her parents lost their jobs following an accident involving her mother. The family survived largely on SASSA grants, often struggling to afford basic necessities.
“I remember how often we had to make a plan with very little,” she recalled. “There were days when basic things like water, electricity, or even food were uncertain. That taught me very early that survival comes from being resourceful.”
As a young girl in primary school, she began saving the little money she received, sometimes as little as R5, and used it to buy lollipops, chips and snacks from wholesalers in Overport, which she later sold to fellow learners at school.
“That’s how I learned business from a very young age, not because I had a choice, but because I had to survive,” she said.
Her fascination with plumbing started while growing up near municipal water meters in her community. Whenever meters were stolen or damaged, she would watch water flooding the streets before municipal workers arrived to repair the problem.
“To me it looked like magic,” she said. “One day I tried to close the water myself and I couldn’t. That moment stayed with me because I wanted to understand how it all worked.”
After matric, Ndimande enrolled to study plumbing and later spent three years completing in‑service training before qualifying in her early twenties. Determined to gain experience, she sometimes worked without pay because she valued learning the trade more than immediate income.
Today, Lukasi Projects handles domestic, commercial and industrial plumbing work across KwaZulu‑Natal, including geyser installations, bathroom renovations, maintenance services and leak detection.
But entering the industry as a young woman was not easy.
Ndimande recalled working on a construction site where she was the only female employee. Instead of being trained alongside the men, she was assigned physically demanding labour tasks for weeks.
“I had to carry heavy rubble from the 10th floor down to the basement using dark staircases because the lifts were not working,” she said.
Her situation only changed after her employer discovered she had not been given proper training opportunities.
“That experience was painful, but it taught me resilience and the importance of standing up for yourself,” she said.
Despite the challenges, she said plumbing quickly became more than just a career.
“Without plumbers, homes would not have running taps. Hospitals would not have water for patients. Communities would struggle with hygiene and dignity,” she explained. “That’s when I knew plumbing was not just an interest – it was my purpose.”
Ndimande has since expanded her impact beyond construction sites. Through Sebenza Training and Empowerment Centre, she has taught plumbing at Westville Correctional Services Medium C and helped train eThekwini Municipality plumbing learners.
“Signing certificates with my name on them says a lot about how far I’ve come,” she said. “I’m grateful to Sebenza for believing in me and trusting me with such a huge responsibility.”
At the heart of her ambitions is her daughter, Mpilo‑enhle Aurora Ngubane.
“My daughter is my everything,” Ndimande said. “I never want her to experience the struggles I went through growing up. One day, I want her to say, ‘My mom started with nothing and became something big.’”
Now, her next dream is to establish a mobile skills training centre that will travel across KwaZulu‑Natal, bringing affordable, hands‑on training to communities where opportunities are limited.
The proposed centre aims to offer plumbing, bricklaying, first aid, and work‑at‑height safety courses while partnering with businesses to create apprenticeship opportunities.
“If the opportunity can’t reach the people easily, then I will take the opportunity to them,” she said.
Five years from now, Ndimande hopes to see young people using those skills to start businesses, secure employment and break cycles of poverty.
“Your background does not decide your future,” she said. “Your story does not end where your struggle begins.”