Brenda Howett

In 2001, Brenda Howett became the first female captain at SAA, after joining SAA in May 1988. By then she had been flying for 11 years. Brenda started working for SAA as an instructor on the flight simulator in December 1983. She was also the first female to fly a Boeing for SAA and the first female Instructor Training Captain. In 1999 she was one of 10 women honoured in the Rapport/Rentmeester Prestige Women’s Day Gala. Brenda retired from SAA on 30th April 2003 at the age of 52. Her last SAA flight was on a Boeing 737-800 from Cape Town to Johannesburg. She married Dev, a Springbok aerobatic pilot and company director. They have two daughters, Kerry and Tracy. The family own a private game farm in the Waterberg. 

Jane Trembath

Jane Trembath

Captain Jane Trembath is currently SAA’s only female captain. She commands a Boeing 737-800 on domestic and African routes. Jane started flying in 1982 and joined the airline in July 1988 at the age of 23, being the youngest Boeing pilot. Jane was the second female pilot at SAA when she joined along with Jenny Berger. In 1993 she was the first woman in SAA to qualify on the Boeing 747-400. She became a captain in 2001. Jane was the developer and chairperson of the SAA Pilot’s Association Mentorship Programme from 2002 to 2005.

On the 4th September 2001, six women made up the all-female crew that operated a Boeing 737-200 from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth and back. This was a first in SAA’s history. Flight SAA 401 was under Jane’s command. Merel VAN DER MERWE, who started flying in 1988, was the First Officer. The rest of the crew were Bessie NKWE (senior cabin officer) and cabin attendants Emma NEL, Ntombekhaya HEWU and Jolyn VISSER.

Originally from Ladismith, Jane decided to become a pilot in her Matric year when she flew from East London to the Wilderness with her parents in a light aircraft and landed on a golf course. After matriculating she started flying lessons and two years later earned her commercial pilot’s licence. In 1985 she was appointed Namib Air’s first female pilot and spent three years as a First Officer. Jane is also an inspirational speaker. Her other interests include doing mosaics, using Linux, playing the piano and saxophone, and designing and making clothing. Her parents are Tim, an engineer, and Vivienne.

Jenny Berger

Jenny Berger was still in school when she applied for pilot training with SAA. She was turned down but did not give up her dream. She persuaded her parents to use the costs of a university degree for flying lessons. She earned her licence straight after Matric. After obtaining a commercial licence and flying for a mining company she again applied to SAA when they advertised for pilots.

Chantal Reniers

Chantal Reniers was always interested in aviation. She was born in Johannesburg and was working at a hunting lodge in Nelspruit when she met a pilot. She persuaded him to let her take control during one of his flights. Shortly afterwards she asked her boss to sponsor her flying lessons in exchange for free flights later. Five weeks later, Chantal had 40 flying hours and a licence. In 1988, after working at various careers and spending time overseas, she decided to concentrate on flying. After attending theory classes and more exams, she started working as a part-time pilot at Lanseria. In September 1990, she joined SAA.

Chris Malherbe

In 1994, Chris Malherbe, from Pretoria, changed careers going from being a cabin attendant to the fourth female pilot at SAA. She had already amassed 3 100 flying hours. Chris became a flight attendant at SAA in 1975. Shortly after meeting her husband, Mike Malherbe, a training captain with SAA, in 1980, she started flying lessons from him. She obtained a private pilot’s licence, followed by a commercial licence and an instructor’s rating. She freelanced as an instructor when not on duty as a cabin attendant. In 1990, she resigned from SAA and obtained her senior commercial pilot’s licence in 1992. Chris flew for two smaller airlines before returning to SAA as a cabin attendant again in 1993, where she applied for a pilot position. She has a daughter, Michelle.

Asnath Mahape

Asnath Mahape

Asnath Mahape was SAA’s first black female pilot trainee after she successfully completed her multi-engine and instrument rating training in 2003. Asnath already held two pilot’s licences obtained through Progress Flight Academy in Port Elizabeth, when she entered SAA’s cadet pilot training programme.

She is originally from Rosenkrans, near Polokwane (Pietersburg) in Limpopo. She used to visit an aunt in Midrand, whose neighbour was an airline pilot. Asnath was fascinated by his job and after he lent her his aviation books and magazines, she was hooked. After matriculating in 1996 from Motse Maria Secondary School, a Catholic school near Polokwane, she went to the University of the Western Cape to study engineering while working part-time to earn money for flying lessons. She obtained her private pilot’s licence in 1998. In 1999, she was the first black woman to obtain her commercial pilot’s licence through Progress Flight Academy, after she inherited some money. A year later, with 200 flying hours, she joined the SAAF where she spent two years in ground school. Finally she was accepted as a student by SAA. Asnath obtained her Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence in 2003. She was nominated for the 2003 Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Woman of the Year Award. She suffered a setback when Ross Air, which was giving her training, ran into financial difficulties in 2005. Another airline had to be found to continue her training.

In March 1997, four female cadet pilots received their wings as part of the second group of SAA cadets to be trained in Adelaide, Australia. After graduation they joined SA Express for further training.