Johannesburg, August 2022 – As Women’s Month, 2022 is commemorated, South African business is still, to a large extent, male-dominated, even though studies have shown that job engagement and performance scores are higher under women than they are under men. But female leaders like Melanie Mokawem, CEO of Hawk Pumps, are proving that women take the lead.

Melanie offers a broader perspective on being a South African female leader in a recent Q&A session.

In the largely male-dominated world of high-pressure pumps, what extra value do you feel you deliver as a female with a different perspective?

“Our company is fuelled by strong collaboration and a flat management structure. We are not hierarchical so much as cooperative. Good leaders must be open to discussion, and our employees are diverse and always treated fairly. We allow everyone on the team to contribute. And with my husband at my side providing support, we challenge each other as equals for better balance in leadership.”

Describe your leadership style.

“I believe in fostering trust and ownership. So, I would rather macromanage than micromanage. This helps develop a high degree of employee engagement across the business. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy said, ‘Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position,’ and I believe we can achieve that not through dictatorship but through care and collaboration.

What are your views on the importance of empowering women in leadership in South Africa?

“This is a short answer and the perfect place for one more quote: ‘In the future, there will be no female leaders, just leaders’ – Sheryl Sandberg.”

The Hawk team feels strongly about enterprise development. Can you expand on any of the projects you have on the go?

“Enterprise development is needed more than ever before following the COVID-19 pandemic. We are determined to help where we can. We recently launched a partnership with a start-up called Equipped Cleaning Services, a black-female-owned cleaning business.

“We supplied some of the essential equipment they needed and uniforms for their staff. We have also signed a weekly cleaning contract with them to service the Hawk Pumps Head Office in Durban. This is a flash in the pan, but we hope we can help other local businesses in the future. I have great faith in the power of South African entrepreneurship.”

What do you feel the biggest challenges are to inclusion – particularly of women – in the workplace?

“Sometimes, getting taken seriously as a woman in a male-dominated industry is challenging. You must work twice as hard to prove your worth. Women are still often automatically dismissed as less skilled, capable and knowledgeable in our industry.

“I have even had women contact the company and dispute the fact that I am the CEO. The best way we can change these perceptions is by getting on with our jobs and letting female leadership speak for itself through its successes.”

What are the key support systems that keep you going through stressful times?

“I get incredible support from my family and my team. I know that they will always believe in me.  And in my free time, I escape into true crime podcasts, which allow me to immerse myself in exciting stories that take me away from everyday life.”

Any advice for young women looking to make their mark on the corporate world?

“Surround yourself with good mentors and a great support system. And most importantly, just do YOU, do it well and be consistent. Your work and your work ethic will do all the talking.”

Women’s Month pays tribute to over 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to protest the Apartheid government’s extension of Pass Laws to women. In 1995, the South African Government commemorated the country’s first official Women’s Day on 9 August, and ever since, Women’s Day and the entire month of August have been observed as a celebration of female achievement.

Commenting on the significance of the month, Melanie concludes, “We run a company that stands by the principle of providing equal opportunities for all. And while Women’s Month is a significant reminder that we should recognise the great women who have shaped our country, I hope that South Africa’s recognition of women as equals in the workplace will eventually make Women’s Month superfluous, as women achievers should be recognised all year round.”

Issued By: The Lime Envelope
On Behalf Of: Hawk
For Media Information: Bronwyn Levy
Telephone: 076 078 1723
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About Hawk
Hawk is a manufacturing company that primarily creates industrial high-pressure pumping and cleaning equipment. They also manufacture spraying solutions, including industrial nozzles. One of Hawk’s biggest strengths is that they have the capacity to manufacture, and custom design machines tailored to specific customer needs.

Hawk serves a wide range of customers from virtually every industrial sector, including processing plants, factories, workshops, contract cleaners, drain and sewer cleaners, car, truck and bus washers, mines, agricultural and more.