Women with quirky careers in the Mother City

This Women’s Day we take a look at ladies who love their jobs

Gone are the days when women were expected to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen; these days the better-looking sex not only have powerful careers, but some unusual ones too.

Diamond polisher
Priscilla Tshabalala takes ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ to a whole new level. Her job is to transforms the rough stones into sparkling gems. After studying at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Training school in Johannesburg she came to Cape Town to work for Shimansky . It takes Priscilla about a week to polish ten diamonds.
And the best part? “I love the final stage where I put all the small facets on the diamond,” says Priscilla  “These small facets bring out the sparkle, brilliance and fire in a diamond and make it complete.”

Author
When Margie Orford turned 40 she took six months off and decided to invest in herself. She had always written, but it was in these months that she wrote the first book in the Clare Hart series. Before writing her first crime fiction novel, Margie had been working as a filmmaker, editor, writer of children’s fiction and books of non-fiction. “I wake up on New Year’s Day, open up my diary and pen ‘Write a book’,and then I do it.”
And the best part? “Starting a book and then finishing it, I do what I love doing. I’m completely unemployable; but I’ve found a way to make a living.”

Altruist
Maurita Glynn Weissenberg established the Shine Centre at Observatory Junior School in 2000 when it became clear that children learning in a second language needed an early support programme. There are now five Shine Centres that support grade two and three children in six different schools, all of which have a measurable impact on the literacy levels of the children involved.
And the best part? Maurita says it’s getting to meet the volunteers that help with the programme and hearing about the positive progress made by the children.

Flower seller
Delia Gamildien has been selling flowers on Adderley Street for the last 25 years. “As a baby I lay here in a banana box,and I’m still here,” she laughs. She took over the stand from her mother. In the morning she fetches the flowers and then comes to her station, “everyday of my life there’s something interesting happening in Adderley Street.”
And the best part? “The excitement of Adderley Street, everyday,things are always changing.”

Entrepreneur
Diana Spicer studied computer science and worked as a programmer for three and a half years before starting Spence, an online clothing store that showcases local designers. “I got to a point where I no longer found my job as challenging or as fulfilling as I would have liked and I wanted to find away to combine the skills I had with something I found really exciting,” says Diana.
And the best part? “I'd say the best part about it is working with the designers and their beautiful items. I also love shipping off exquisite South African garments and accessories to people, knowing the excitement that comes from receiving a package with something new to wear in it.”

Researcher
Dr. Nasiema Allie works at the Division of Immunology at the UCT Health Sciences Faculty. She teaches under- and post-graduate students as well as conducting experimental tuberculosis research. After obtained a BSc (Zoology) and BSc (Med) Hons in Medicine from UCT she became a member of staff in 1998 and has used this opportunity to further her studies.
And the best part? Nasiema enjoys teaching and being published in internationally acclaimed journals, but her favorite part of the job is trying to understand the interaction between the human immune system and pathogens, especially relating to tuberculosis, and developing novel ways of controlling, and hopefully eventually eradicating the disease.

Winemaker
Ntsiki Biyela is South Africa’s first black female winemaker. Originally from KwaZulu-Natal, Ntsiki was awarded an SAA bursary and tasted her first wine when she was already at the University of Stellenbosch where she studied oenology. In 2004 she started working at Stellekaya in Stellenbosch and has created award-winning premium red wines. She is a talented winemaker making an impact in a male dominated  industry.
And the best part? Ntsiki enjoys all aspects of her job, from checking the grapes during harvest time to analysing the health of the wine in the off-season, and of course, tasting with the fans of Stellekaya Wines.

Artist
Galia Gluckman is an eco-artist, she creates stunning landscape collages from recycled magazine paper. Originally a fashion designer, but art was what she really loved doing. So now, her job involves being creative and developing new ways of seeing things, which are reflected in the final artwork.
And the best part? The process.

Director
Jani le Roux is the insert director for local medical show ‘Hello Doctor’. She originally wanted to go into magazine journalism but after completing an internship at ‘The Home Channel’ she realised she loved working in television. Jani’s job involves directing inserts that are focused on health related issues – from open heart surgery to the common cold.
And the best part? “The best part of the job is undoubtedly the people we meet and the amazing things we get to see and learn, while getting to walk around in surgical scrubs!”

Body piercer
Farie Kamaldien has always had an interest in piercing and body modification. When she was younger she would hang around Wildfire so often that the owner eventually offered her a job. Since her apprenticeship she has been working as a body piercer for eight years. Farie runs two Wildfire piercing studios and deals with all body modifications.
And the best part? She enjoys meeting all the different people that come into the studio, “you build a connection with the customers because you work so closely with them.”

By Lindsay Callaghan

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