Have you ever thought about that? What does defiance mean to you? When I read Major Mandisa Mfeka and Kitty Phetla’s stories, this is the first question that came to mind.  What does defiance mean to me? The next thing I had to do of course was check the meaning of the word.

 defiance

/dɪˈfʌɪəns/

noun

1.     open resistance; bold disobedience.

"an act of defiance"

I started wondering about my own acts of defiance as I navigated my journey as an entrepreneur, unguided, under resourced, inexperienced only driven by the will to make a difference.

I thought about how surviving 2020 seems like an act of defiance on its own. How dare we audaciously navigate a year with a persistent will to live, to thrive, to make it to 2021, still carrying the hope of a better year? Every morning was unpredictable; taking your next breath seemed like an actual act of defiance but defiance was not a new state of being for Major Mandisa Mfeka and Kitty Phetla in 2020, they have constantly resisted the way things are and championed through naysayers and non-believers. People who said it couldn’t be done. They opted to get up and try again and again and again until they got to the finish line.

Mandisa made history when she became the first black female combat pilot in South Africa. Her story inspired many women not only in South Africa, but around the world where gender equality is still a struggle. She also made history by being the first woman to form part of the Hawks formation display during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration in 2019.

Kitty Phetla transcended cultural barriers in becoming the first black ballerina to dance “The Dying Swan” in Russia, at a time when ballet was conservative, and transformed the industry.

When Volkswagen partnered with Major Mandisa Mfeka and Kitty Phetla to launch short films to tell their stories of defiance, it was not only timely but also necessary. Volkswagen’s T-Roc #TheDrivetoDefy campaign, tells the story of a girl curious about planes and her defiant journey to becoming South Africa’s first black female fighter pilot as well as a woman determined to change the status quo, who had the audacity to stand tall on world stages. 

“The new T-Roc is not what people expect from Volkswagen, which is why it made sense to partner with heroines like Major Mandisa Mfeka and Kitty Phetla because their stories are all about achieving the unexpected. The films delve deep into their journeys, covering their defining moments. 

You can visit the campaign’s online platform here to watch the stories of defiance.

Let me know what defiance means to you. Share in the comments below.