International Women's Day: Pheladi Masinga, Ford South Africa

This International Women's Day, we proudly spotlight the diverse perspectives and powerful contributions of Ford women who are not just working, but leading the charge across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions. From manufacturing floors to customer experience strategy, these leaders are shaping the future of Ford, each in their own distinct way.

Pheladi Masinga is responsible for ensuring stable, efficient, and cost-effective material flow to support vehicle production while improving inventory accuracy, space utilization, and process discipline. A good day means production runs without a single part shortage, KPIs are green, safety is uncompromised, and her team proactively solves problems before they escalate.

When she joined, the focus was largely transactional: moving parts from point A to point B. Today, it's far more strategic, involving digital traceability, PFEP integrity, cost optimization, supplier collaboration, and building systems that create a true visual factory.

Many people think material handling is just about logistics, but Pheladi knows better: "In reality, it's a critical control function that protects production uptime, safety, and customer delivery performance. It's highly analytical and deeply strategic."

She's particularly proud of creating visibility where there was once uncertainty and strengthening chassis traceability. As a woman in manufacturing leadership, she's especially proud to demonstrate that operational excellence and strong leadership go hand in hand.