Asnath Mahapa is the First African Female Commercial Pilot in South Africa and the founder of the African College of Aviation.
Born in Limpopo, South Africa, in 1979, Mahapa didn’t grow up around planes, but at 13, she saw one flying overhead and couldn’t stop wondering how it stayed in the air. That simple curiosity sparked a dream that would take her far.
“When I decided to become a Pilot, I didn’t even think about the consequences or how I was going to do it. I didn’t know anything about it nor did I know anyone in the industry. But I started telling people about this dream of mine.” – Asnath Mahapa, South African Pilot and founder of the African College of Aviation.
Aviation wasn’t a dinner-table topic at the time in her Limpopo home. South African women were rarely pilots, so convincing her father to buy into her vision was another story. Like many parents, he hesitated as aviation was a male-dominated field and not a typical path for a Black girl from rural South Africa.
Still, Mahapa enrolled at Peter Mokaba Flight School and later trained with the South African Air Force. She was the only woman in her class. Still, by 1999, she had earned both her private and commercial pilot licenses, becoming Africa’s first female commercial pilot and the first African woman to receive an airline transport pilot’s license in South Africa.
Mahapa becomea a pilot
Mahapa’s career took off quickly. She flew missions with the South African Air Force, United Nations, and Red Cross, operating in complex and sometimes dangerous regions across Central and West Africa. Later, she joined South African Express and became a Senior First Officer with South African Airways, piloting Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft on international routes.
However, Asnath Mahapa didn’t just want to be the first female commercial pilot. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t the last.
So in 2012, she founded the African College of Aviation in Johannesburg, a school designed to train and mentor the next generation of aviators, especially young women and those facing financial barriers. The college offers programs like Airline Cabin Crew training and Travel and Tourism Foundation courses, helping students prepare for careers in South Africa and overseas. The focus is on practical training, confidence-building, and creating more inclusive access to aviation.
In 2017, she expanded her impact by launching the Asnath Matsobane Mahapa Foundation (AMF). The foundation focuses on STEM education, mentorship, and youth empowerment, particularly in underserved communities. Through workshops and school programs, she is helping more young people, especially girls, pursue science, engineering, and aviation-related careers.
Her impact and recognition
Mahapa has been named one of the 100 Greatest Women in Aviation. She has also received the African Female Pilot Award from the Black Management Forum and the South African Women’s Alliance Legacy Award. In addition, she is a motivational speaker who shares her story to encourage more women to enter male-dominated fields.
