Meet Rachael Gillespie –The Business Pioneer behind Rotacon Engineering

By: Dylan Naidoo

Rachael Gillespie shines as a business leader in both her determination as well as her drive to always strive to achieve success. Being the face of one of our Business Sense newspapers, Rachael, like many other business leaders that I have interacted with, started with a rather humble beginning, an aspect that she openly acknowledged.

When I first arrived at Rotacon, I immediately took notice of the industrial-like atmosphere where workers in dark blue workwear were operating big heavy machinery. But most importantly, they were a team of well-integrated individuals who were very friendly to me, which made me feel quite welcome in the offices.

When I walked into those offices, I was blasted by the fresh smelling air of an air conditioner. I should mention that it was around 30 degrees in Durban on top of rather high humidity when we arrived, however, the cool air did make entering the offices more rewarding. After sprawling up some steps and a narrow hallway, I made my way to Rachael Gillespie: general manager of Rotacon Engineering.

Rachael struck me as an individual that was passionate about the role she plays at Rotacon. Despite the engineering field being a predominantly male-oriented field, Rachael has proven herself to exceed expectations and gained the position that she rightfully deserved. Emerging from what she described as being a “humble background”, Rachel served as a receptionist in 1996 without even any computer literacy at all.

However, with her clear determination, Rachael moved up the ranks, bought tools to aid her work, and got more involved in the field, and did so for 30 years. During this time, she had the opportunity to work in various departments within Rotacon, before she would eventually rise up to the general manager position.

When talking about her biggest accomplishment, Rachael said that it was being the major shareholder in the company, and I saw why. Rachael being the face of the company inspires young women to achieve their biggest dreams, no matter what the challenge may be. At the same time, she also gives praise directed towards her team. Rachael is an individual that continuously cares for and encourages her team in their workplace.

When discussing her source of inspiration, the first person that Rachael mentioned was her pastor, keeping to her faith to put God first in everything that she does. On top of this, she also mentioned that women who had the life experience of starting from the bottom and working their way up were a source of motivation for her. In essence, it can be said that Rachael got to her position from perseverance, motivation, and breaking away from pre-existing stereotypes. I had the opportunity to interview Rachael and immediately wanted to discuss how she felt being a part of the KZN Top Business Women, as well as landing on the front page of the Business Sense newspaper. She said that she could not believe that she achieved this milestone and thanked us quite wholeheartedly for the opportunity.

After some quick photo shoots, Rachael gave us a tour of the factory, showcasing all of the heavy machinery, as well as giving us the chance to see the workers that drive Rotacon in action. And yes, going straight from the air-conditioned offices to the factory really did feel quite the transition, but I felt excited. Heavy machinery was everywhere, and with my phone in hand, I captured many of these amazing machines handled by the talented team of workers who were excited to get their photos taken. After some video shoots and photography, we were on our way.

So Rotacon Engineering, pioneered by Rachael Gillespie, was certainly a trip. Seeing the heavy machinery and the people that make these industrial machines that many of us use every day was exciting and felt so new to me. Most importantly however, it showed me that anything is possible no matter how impossible it may look.

Rachael Gillespie - general manager of Rotacon Engineering