Mining Leader Bontle on Driving Transformation Through Collaborative Leadership

Workplace culture shapes success. It determines how individuals thrive, how teams collaborate, and how businesses grow. For industries like mining and STEM environment, traditionally male-dominated sectors, progress has been made, but as Bontle Mtshengu, General Manager for Mining and Aftermarket Support at Cummins South Africa, explains, “true transformation means reimagining how we work, lead, and support each other.”

Progress With Gaps

Reflecting on the evolution of the industry, Bontle highlights both progress and the challenges still ahead.

“When I started my career nearly 24 years ago, it wasn’t just uncommon, it was surprising, to see a woman working in an engineering role on a mining site in South Africa. I was often the only woman in the room, on the team, or even in the building,” she recalls.

Today, the landscape is shifting. Women make up around 15% of the South African mining workforce, with more than 70,000 women employed across the sector. Globally, women now hold a greater share of executive and leadership roles compared to two decades ago.

It’s About “We,” Not Just “She”

At Cummins, we believe that real transformation in workplace culture is collective. Both women and men bring unique strengths that, when combined, create stronger, more innovative teams. Empathy, collaboration, resilience, risk-taking, and long-term thinking forming complementary traits.

But as Bontle reminds us, “representation is just the beginning. Gaps remain, particularly in senior technical and executive roles, and it’s up to all of us, women and men alike, to work together to close these gaps.”

At Cummins AME, we believe that transformation must be collective. Bontle emphasises the importance of building inclusive workplaces that do not sideline men but engage them as allies.

“In my own career, I’ve had challenges with both men and women but I’ve also been mentored, championed, and supported by both women and men, and I wouldn’t be standing here without each and every one of them,” she notes. “We simply cannot shift workplace culture by talking and engaging with only half of the room.” We exist to complement one another.

Both women and men bring distinct but complementary strengths such as empathy, resilience, risk-taking, collaboration, and long-term thinking. Together, these traits fuel stronger teams and more innovative solutions.

Three Levers of Change

Bontle identifies three critical levers for real transformation in male-dominated industries:

1. Shaping Policy

“Change starts with policy, but it can’t stop there,” she says. Recruitment, retention, development, parental leave, safety standards, and leadership pathways must reflect today’s workforce realities. Policies should not sit on paper but actively shape inclusive cultures at every level.

2. Building Diverse Teams

At Cummins, diverse teams are central to solving complex challenges. “When women are part of the conversation, the quality of decision-making improves. We bring a different lens, one that balances risk with pragmatism and moves teams from assumption to insight.” 

3. Enlisting Champions

Change requires leaders who step forward as allies. “When a site manager or technical lead shows up as an ally, it signals that change is not only welcome but expected,” Bontle stresses. At Cummins, visible champions have helped create space for more women to grow, lead, and shape the future of the industry.

Looking Ahead

For Bontle, transforming workplace culture is about building a future where no one is left behind. “Empowering women isn’t about lowering expectations, it’s about removing unnecessary barriers so everyone can perform at their best,” she says. At Cummins, inclusion is both a responsibility and an opportunity that strengthens the workforce, fuels innovation, and drives long-term success.

“Inclusive and diverse cultures aren’t just more equitable, they’re smarter. They make better decisions, retain top talent, and drive stronger results,” Bontle concludes. As Cummins AME continues to embrace change, the commitment remains creating environments where women and men thrive, together.