Precious Sibalo is a certified Commercial Pilot and former cabin crew member at Qatar Airways. She previously worked as a waitress in South Africa and Dubai to empower herself to her dream profession.
She is also a Philanthropist, Mentor, Motivational Speaker and Founder of Precious Wings Foundation which aims at aiding marginalized children with materials, services and guidance to prepare them for a better future without gender discrimination.
Precious was born in Bulawayo, she schooled at Kungubo Primary school, in the rural area of Plumtree, transferred to Mhali Primary School in Bulawayo and attended Mtshabezi High School in Zimbabwe. Her grandfather had a subscription to the reader’s digest and loved Wilbur Smith, so she grew up reading a lot.
Her late mother had her at age 17, she was brought up by her grandparents and she wasn’t good in mathematics at secondary school. At age 17, she also had a child and relocated to South Africa cause she could no longer proceed to the University. Upon arriving in South Africa, she worked as a waitress, but all this could not stop her from achieving her dream.
Precious later moved to Dubai, while she in Dubai she applied for a cabin crew job at Qatar Airways. Among her six friends who applied for the job, she was the only one recruited and joined Qatar Airways. She worked for five years at Qatar Airways while she was saving money to train and become a Pilot which was her childhood dream.
In 2017, she enrolled at 43 Airschool South Africa for her Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (IATPL) course and completed her training to earn her CPL license on 24 November 2020.
Her qualifications include – ICAO South African Commercial Pilot License (CPL), Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) theoretical knowledge credit, Multi-Engine Instrument Rating, Airbus A320 Multi-crew Co-operation (MCC), General Radio Certificate, Dangerous Goods (CAT10), South African Civil Aviation Medical (Class 1), Aviation Safety Emergency Procedures Training, Flight Crew/Cabin Crew CRM Training & Familiar with International Airline Operations.
Precious is currently working on her Flight Instructors Rating and flying to build hours in an effort to achieve her next goal – flying big planes for Qatar Airways.
“People should never give up on their dreams. I used the job of a waitress as a stepping stone. Some people will always say ‘I will never take this job’. No, take it and use it as a stepping stone. The same waitress job, took me to Dubai and paved the way for my job at Qatar Airways.” – Precious Sibalo
