This year, as part of its Women’s Month observations, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is celebrating women in blue who are not only ‘game changers’ in their respective fields, but who also break barriers in male dominated environments.

Lieutenant Colonel Kgothatso Khunou is the first African female chief helicopter pilot attached to the SAPS Airwing in the Free State and one of 17 female pilots nationwide.

Living up to her first name as Kgothatso, which means ‘courage’, loosely translated from Setswana, she hails from the “dusty streets of Rustenburg”, as she fondly describes her humble upbringing as a “village girl”. Khunou says a career in aviation found her and not the other way around. As a teenager, Khunou dreamt of following a career in science.

In 2010, the Royal Bafokeng Administration offered Khunou a scholarship to obtain a commercial pilot license, just shortly after she obtained a National Diploma in Biotechnology. Despite a fear of flying, Khunou jumped at the opportunity. This ultimately led her to join the SAPS in 2014 as a junior pilot at the rank of warrant officer.

As a helicopter pilot, Khunou’s duties include operational flights, providing aerial support as requested from ground units, along with stock theft and stolen vehicle searches and assisting with search and rescue operations.

Khunou is currently deployed to Operation Vala Umgodi, which continues to register what the SAPS said is commendable progress in dealing decisively with illicit mining activities across the country.

She played a pivotal role in a recent women-led operation on 1 August 2024, when her team arrested 178 illicit miners, recovered over 400 pendukas and various other illicit mining equipment during the operation in Benoni.

“When you set goals, always tell yourself that the sky is not even the limit. I was once afraid of flying, but now I serve my country fearlessly as a SAPS helicopter pilot,” said Khunou.