My name is Neo Porscha Makgale. With a background in tourism, aviation development, and business strategy, I have spent over 21 years in research, connecting people, places, and opportunities across the globe.
My passion is women’s empowerment
I believe that when a woman learns to fly, whether it’s with her wings, an airplane, or flies a drone, she rises, and she lifts everyone around her with courage and strength so that they also reach the pinnacle of their potential. That’s what I live for. That’s my principle and my vision. I’m building real, inclusive pathways for women and youth, especially in Africa, at large, and believe in a global reach in the near future. This is so that women can lead and enter the industry without hassle. Drone piloting has become my gateway because it’s accessible, it’s in demand, and it opens doors to careers that most women have never even been told exist.
My purpose, as my name ( Neo Porscha) would define a new beginning and a gift to the world. I didn’t understand it when I was younger, but today I see it clearly. My journey, from hospitality and tourism into aviation strategy, training, and mentorship, is exactly that: a new offering of opportunity to women who have been told for generations that these spaces aren’t for them or that they never thought it would be possible.
Through my journey in tourism, I saw how many brilliant young women hit invisible ceilings through financial barriers, self-doubt, and zero exposure to technical fields. I watched talented sisters give up on leadership roles because the path looked impossible. Then I entered aviation spaces myself and felt the same weight: rooms full of men, conversations that assumed I didn’t belong, funding that never reached women. I realised passion alone isn’t enough. Access is transformational. The truth is, women don’t lack capability; we lack opportunity. So I decided: if the door isn’t open, I’ll build a new one—and through collaborations and networks, drones became that door.
I chose training, especially the drone pilot training, because drones are revolutionising everything right now in Africa, wildlife conservation, anti-poaching patrols, agricultural mapping, tourism marketing, search and rescue, infrastructure surveys, environmental research… the list keeps growing as we go, the world evolves, and the need arises.. These jobs are not gendered. They are open. And the best part? You can train, get certified, and start earning in months, not decades.
For a young woman in a rural area with limited resources, that’s life-changing. I’ve seen it happen; it changes lives, it transforms.
How this is done, we introduce them to aviation careers they’ve never heard of, put controllers in their hands, train them to the highest safety and legal standards, get them remotely piloted aircraft licences, connect them to jobs or help them start their own drone businesses, and then mentor them all the way into confident leadership. I want every girl who walks through our programmes to leave knowing she belongs in every room she enters.
There are challenges, of course, in aviation, especially where inclusivity is concerned. Now, my mission is to build a much bigger table, with enough seats for every woman who dreams of flying.
When it comes to economic empowerment and qualified drone pilot, she can do a lot. She can earn more, which is beneficial for her family; she can hire more females, and that causes a ripple of jobs. She can inspire the village. Through her qualifications, she can protect wildlife, grow local economies, and tell Africa’s stories from the sky. One empowered woman becomes a catalyst for her whole community.
Beyond the technical skills, my huge emphasis is on identity and purpose. This is because a license is just paper if a woman doesn’t believe she deserves to use it. I’ve seen brilliant pilots freeze because deep down, they still felt “less than.” So, yes, we teach them to fly drones, but we also rebuild their self-esteem, help them discover who they are beyond titles, teach them leadership, vision casting, and social responsibility. We are not just producing drone pilots; we are raising purpose-driven aviation leaders who will change the industry for generations.
Beyond being a Group CEO and co-founder in Neoheights Aviation Group and an Executive Director in Women Empowering Women in Wildlife, I look forward to an African aviation academy built for women and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. I want drone empowerment programmes in all African countries. Scholarships that actually reach the girls who need them most. Partnerships that open international doors. Aviation education starting in primary schools. And one day soon, the largest network of certified female drone pilots on the continent—thousands of us owning the skies we were once locked out of.
When I look at a young girl holding a drone controller for the first time, I want her to feel freedom.
A drone in the hands of a woman is more than technology; it’s a tool for freedom. Freedom to dream bigger than her circumstances, freedom to earn on her own terms, freedom to protect her community, freedom to lead.
The future of aviation is female. And we will rise—one drone, one lesson, one empowered woman at a time.
Stay Connected:
Follow for more: https://www.instagram.com/executivewomen_
Like us: https://www.facebook.com/ExecutiveWomen
Connect & Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neo-porscha-makgale-29079957/
Read more articles: https://executive-women.global/en/the-first-woman-ever-sanae-takaichi-and-the-redefinition-of-power-in-japan/
العربية 
English