What started as a determination to create her own opportunities has grown into a successful mining engineering business for North West businesswoman, Ms Tebogo Mosito, creating jobs, developing artisans and exploring markets across Africa.
Mosito is the Director of Ditsogo Engineering, a Rustenburg-based company specialising in the manufacturing of underground rolling stock, steel fabrication, mechanical repairs and mining and engineering services. She is proving that women can play a significant role in the traditionally male-dominated industry.
Mosito studied Human Resource Management at University of the Witwatersrand. After graduating and struggling to find employment, she turned to entrepreneurship in 2008, starting and running several businesses before establishing the Ditsogo Group in 2012.
Her entry into the mining industry was driven by the realisation that few women were participating in core mining, manufacturing, and engineering sectors. She had also realised that the sector was lucrative with the potential to create sustainable livelihoods, empower communities and contribute to poverty reduction.
“My first major client was Impala Platinum, which identified gaps in my company’s technical capabilities but provided an opportunity for Ditsogo to participate in an enterprise supplier development programme. They developed my company to ensure that we complied with all the regulations, and assisted us to grow and create more job opportunities for the unemployed youth around our areas,” says Mosito.
Since its establishment, Ditsogo Group has created more than 135 jobs and currently has teams working in different sites on maintenance and installation projects. The company also works with the North West-based Orbit FET College to provide workplace opportunities to students.
Mosito says skills development remains an important part of the company’s growth strategy, with Ditsogo planning to establish a training wing focusing on developing unemployed youth and aspiring artisans.
“Our company has also benefited from partnerships and support programmes involving mining companies, government, and development institutions. Participation in export development programmes and exhibitions has provided opportunities to showcase our products and services internationally, including in Germany and China. The Partnering in Business with Germany Programme, which we participated in, offered comprehensive support through business-to-business meetings, visits to German manufacturing facilities, and in-market training, boosting technical skills, operational best practices, and export readiness,” says Mosito.
She says that following her participation in a Germany programme in 2024, the company signed an agreement with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner from Germany.
“The partnership is enabling us to explore opportunities to supply chemical anchors, bolts and other mining-related equipment,” says Mosito.
According to Mosito, international partnerships have also strengthened the company’s credibility with potential mining clients.
Ditsogo Group was awarded the Presidential Small and Medium Enterprise Award for Women in Engineering in 2022 and was recognised as an Emerging Export Leader in 2025 for the Partnering in Business with Germany Awards, among other accolades. Mosito says these awards have provided credibility and recognition for the work undertaken by the company.
“For me, it shows my resilience in the industry. When people see the awards, they know behind the award there was hard work because we did not just win them. They looked at our financials, the growth, and the impact that we are doing to the community,” she says.
She reveals that the company is now pursuing an expansion strategy into other African markets, and we are working with local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. This, according to Mosito, was made possible through her participation in the trade missions and exhibitions, with the assistance of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic).
Mosito adds that the company is also exploring opportunities in underground mining support and is seeking to expand its participation in other areas of the mining value chain.
Despite its progress, Mosito acknowledges that women-owned businesses continue to face significant barriers, including regulatory requirements, red tape, access to markets, funding and the high cost of compliance. However, she believes greater access to information and strategic networks is essential for women entrepreneurs to navigate these challenges.
For Mosito, Women’s Month is therefore not simply about celebration, but about creating tangible economic opportunities and inclusion for women. “It is about fighting for opportunities and inclusion and making sure that we benefit from the economic opportunities that are available,” she said.
Her own journey has reinforced her belief that women belong in industries traditionally dominated by men. As a mother of four, Mosito also draws inspiration from her children and hopes to create a more inclusive environment for the next generation of women.
According to Mosito, women empowerment means women having financial freedom and the power to choose where they want to be.
“Because if you are not empowered, you remain where somebody choses for you to be,” stresses Mosito.
Her advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is direct, “believe in yourself, remain resilient, continue learning and make the most of every opportunity,” says Mosito.
Mosito has called on the government and the private sector to ensure women-owned businesses are paid on time, particularly within 30 days, to ensure their sustainability.