Responding to the evolving landscape of motorsport, earlier this year Motorsport South Africa (MSA), made strategic changes to its leadership team appointing Samantha van Reenen, as the new Sporting Services Manager: Cars, Karting and Legal and Carmen Hill, with 17 years of motorsport experience under her belt, as Sporting Services Manager: Motorcycles.
As we celebrate women’s month during August and celebrate those women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, Van Reenen, Hill and Jacqui Monteiro, MSA Operations Manager, spoke out about the promising future of women in motorsport, as more and more women are breaking through the traditionally male-dominated industry. The women all share a passion and love for the sport.
“I can now combine my passion and enthusiasm for the sport and see how best we can foster growth and innovation in this dynamic industry,” says Van Reenen. Hill is equally excited about her new role and says even though motorsport is traditionally a male-dominated industry, women have increasingly proven to hold their own in all aspects of Motorsport. “It is all about putting in the hard work for what you want to achieve; earning it honestly and fairly with the rest of the field and ultimately changing mind sets and views,” says Hill.
Monteiro, who initially worked at the National Sports Council, was first introduced to motorsport via the then MD of MSA, Mrs Beaulah Verolini (now Schoeman) who not only was her mentor, but the only woman heading up a national sporting body at the time. With sports administration as a passion, Monteiro was lured to MSA 24 years ago and has never looked back.
With more and more women competing locally and on the world stage, MSA is actively looking at ways to promote awareness and education and increase visibility and representation. Van Reenen emphasised the need for mentorship and support organisations tailored to young aspiring women in motorsport, as they are instrumental in dismantling existing gender biases and stereotypes that unfortunately sometimes still exist.
Monteiro, says MSA is actively looking at ways to create more inclusive spaces to foster a culture of respect towards both the team at MSA but also the officials, stewards and competitors that all combine to make the sport possible. “Women have been involved in Motorsport in some way for the longest time, be it as mothers, sisters, racing, administration or lap scorers. They have also proved their worth. Consider Desire Wilson competed in a F1 Championship at Brands Hatch in 1980 and won. More recently Kirsten Landman has competed in the Dakar as a privateer, which takes guts, but she has proven herself time and time again. These are just two women who have excelled but there are many, many more.”
The diverse and collaborative work makes the industry incredibly rewarding and all three of these powerhouses are committed to making a positive impact on motorsport in South Africa.
Van Reenen made mention that facing challenges as a women in a male-dominated motorsport industry can be overwhelming and sometimes even exclusionary, but with the increased participation of women, not only at a driver level, but as engineers, team owners, and in a variety of management, administrative, marketing and technical positions, those challenges are being overcome. “Through the various media and social platforms, women are now openly showcasing their stories and achievements. As a result, perceptions towards the sport are being altered positively” says Van Reenen.
“There are so many exciting programmes,” says Hill, all designed to boost awareness and acceptance of females in motorsport and inspire greater and more diverse participation.
Monteiro says locally there are also programmes citing as an example the one recently run by MSA and Rok Cup South Africa Race Director, Cindy van der Laan, for event secretaries. “Programmes like this not only bring more women into the sport but will also assist them in their careers outside of Motorsport. Motorsport South Africa runs regular webinars, which covers all aspects of the sport and we are pleasantly surprised at the number of women who attend.”
As Monteiro, Hill and Van Reenen continue to advocate for women’s empowerment, the future appears promising for skilled female competitors and those aspiring to other positions in the motorsport industry within South Africa. For younger females motorsport is a realm where passion meets precision. The message is strong – embrace your unique perspective, build connections, do your homework and investigate all avenues in motorsport, challenge stereotypes and celebrate your achievements. A woman who puts her mind and passion into something, can succeed in any position.
Picture Caption Group Photograph: From Left Samantha van Reenen (MSA Sporting Services Manager: Cars, Karting and Legal), Jacqui Monteiro (MSA Operations Manager) and Carmen Hill (MSA Sporting Services Manager: Motorcycles).
Compiled on behalf of MSA by Cathy Findley PR