Meet Innocentia Mahlangu, a project manager and senior civil engineer in Johannesburg, South Africa. Innocentia obtained her Master’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Witwatersrand – specialising in project and construction management. Innocentia is a registered Professional Engineer with ECSA & is accredited as a Project Management Professional (PMP). She began her professional journey in 2012.

Innocentia has been recognised by the Mail & Guardian as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans. IN 2019, Innocentia was also awarded the Young Engineer of the Year Award by the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) Johannesburg Branch & nominated for the SAICE National Awards.

Here’s what you can learn about Innocentia Mahlangu

Current location

Johannesburg, South Africa  

Tertiary Qualification

• Master's in Civil Engineering - specialisation in project and construction management from the University of Witwatersrand

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

• Mastery by Robert Green
• You'll See It When You Believe by Wayne Dyer
• Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

What does a typical workday look like for you?

In my current role as a project manager, I am responsible to deliver projects within scope, cost and schedule, and ensure that the project is delivered within the safety, quality and environmental best practices. Everyday looks different and depend on the projects I am working on.

My technical background is in railway infrastructure and I have transitioned to project management. This has allowed me to work on a diverse range of projects. Some of the exciting work I have completed to date includes:

• Being responsible for the design of a railway loading siding in Zimbabwe

• Part of a team on a railway logistics study where we were investigating a solution to transport copper ore from a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo to various ports in Africa

• Working on a railway logistics study to determine a solution to transport coal from the Waterberg area in South Africa, where we completed various options and trade off studies

• Working on a pre-feasibility study to determine a solution to transport manganese in Burkina Faso to a port in Ivory Coast

• Working on a railway construction project where I fulfilled the role as resident engineer, project manager and construction manager. The project included construction of bulk earthworks, culverts, roads, buildings, drainage, railway permanent way infrastructure, electrical overhead equipment and signalling equipment.

• Working on a mining & metals project, where the client was looking to upgrade their iron ore processing capabilities in their existing mine

• Managing a project to update a client’s health & safety system for their offshore operations.

Why or what factors made you choose to pursue a career in STEM?

I was initially attracted to the field of engineering because I was interested in solving problems and making a difference. I was artistic and creative in high school. I equally enjoyed science and mathematics. This led me to civil engineering.

What are one – three things you love about being a STEM professional?

 The nature of problems we solve vary with each project. The field of engineering allows you to be innovative and provides you with the opportunity to solve global problems.

How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favourite failure” of yours?

I truly believe I have not failed at anything because I have never given up. I have experienced temporary setbacks such as struggling to complete the research component of my Master’s degree. I changed my area of research a number of times after hitting dead ends or not finding sufficient data to support the research. This process was frustrating. I also had to juggle completing my Master’s degree while being based on a remote construction site, which presented another set of challenges. During this period, there were times when I thought about giving up, but I had to constantly remind myself of why I started in the first place and what it meant to me to obtain the qualification.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven high school students who are about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?

A career in STEM opens so many doors for you and is not limiting. Start thinking about a problem that you'd like to solve in the world and drive your decisions.

Connect with Innocentia

Linkedin: Innocentia Mahlangu

Meet Terry Macharia, Founder and Managing Partner of Secvate Solutions, an information technology startup based in Nairobi, Kenya providing customized software solutions, cyber security consultancy and data analytics services in Africa. Terry has a background in information technology with seven (7) years plus of experience in the I.T industry having worked as a System Administrator, Systems Consultant (Infrastructure and IT security) and Project Manager. Her professional objective is to utilize her knowledge, skills and experience, to be part of a working nation that participates in the economic, political and social development of our societies.

Here’s what you can learn from Terry:

Current Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Tertiary Qualification

• Master’s degree in Information Technology (MSc.IT)
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology (BBIT) from Strathmore University

What are one - three books that have greatly influenced your life?

• Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

What does a typical work day look like for you?

My days are very unpredictable. My work involves a lot of on-the-spot decision making and providing direction for my employees. It also involves also reviewing reports and reading news to ensure I am up to date on current happenings.

Why or what factors made you choose to pursue a career in STEM?

Honestly, this was never a choice for me. I always wanted to be a lawyer however at the time, my father's university of choice didn't have law in the offering. I was tasked to get a course in this university and that's how I ended up in tech. That by far is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

What are one – three things you love about being a STEM student/professional?

It's very challenging but at the same time engaging. You have to keep up with current trends. I just love it because every day you learn something new. It's never a routine job. You get tossed into many scenarios that asks one to innovate, grow and think differently. This is what I live for.

How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favourite failure” of yours?

One of my toughest failures was starting a company and it ended up failing. The lessons I took from that failure was that no matter how bad situations look, always pick yourself and move forward and never give up on your dreams.

What problems are you passionate about solving in your community, country or the world? How do you want to make a difference in the world?

I am passionate about youth development. I spend a good chunk of time in mentoring and inspiring them. I honestly believe they are the future of our African countries and they need to be nurtured right and provided with the right direction and guidance.

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do?

I take time off and spend some time to recollect and reflect. Afterwards, I am able to underpin what is really making me feel overwhelmed and think of a solution towards averting the feeling.

Connect with Terry

LinkedIn: Terry W. Macharia