Women’s Month: Dianah Vukeya

For nearly three decades Dianah Vukeya has been a committed member of the Rovos Rail family. As the Senior Laundry Assistant, she has become an expert in maintaining the impeccable standards of the train.

The three suite categories on board each have their own bed size and linen requirements including everything from robes and slippers to pillowcases and towels. The public cars include tablecloths, napkins, antimacassars and even curtains, which are made by the onsite upholstery team. Dianah is part of an 18-member team responsible for washing, steaming, ironing, pressing, folding and preparing all laundry for each journey. Her daily routine involves checking the schedule and rooming lists for upcoming journeys and guests’ requirements to ensure all stock items are available. A 15-night Dar es Salaam journey can have about 2000 items, for example. Dianah and the team methodically count and pack every item into large laundry bags for each suite and public car to maximise the limited space on board. And when the train returns, they count it all back into stock to repeat the process.

Dianah first encountered Rovos Rail when she was a clothing vendor at Pretoria Train Station. She joined the company as a passage lady and hostess on board, no mean feat when a train can be ±350m long. She held for 12 years before joining the laundry team on site. Her favourite Rovos destination was Dar es Salaam as it marked her first trip outside South Africa. Another highlight was Victoria Falls made even more memorable by her bravely taking the plunge with a bungee jump off the iconic bridge! 

When asked what she loves most about her job, Dianah responded with: “Everything!” She is proud of the invaluable skills she has learned during her time with Rovos and describes it as a journey of personal and professional growth. These include learning to work with a diverse range of people, respecting others, transparency and teamwork. She has also learned skills in hospitality and healthcare and has completed courses in First Aid, Firefighting and Empathy Training.

Home for Dianah is Midrand where she enjoys spending time with her large family, which includes her husband, five children and four grandchildren. She enjoys cooking for her family, taking them to church and spring cleaning! She describes herself as strong, brave, kind, respectful, hard-working and proactive – qualities that shine through in her work and interactions with coworkers and guests. Dianah’s dedication to her work is inspiring and she is a much-valued member of the team.

Written by Linda Sparks • Edited by Bianca Vos-Lynch