Meet the extraordinary five siblings who originally hail from Venda, Limpopo – this quintuple successfully obtained their qualifications from the University of Pretoria (UP).

Phumudzo Netshapapame holds a BEng Mining degree (2006) and works at Hexagon Mining as a Senior Technical Sale Specialist. Murendeni Netshishivhe graduated with a BEng Chemical degree (2011) and works at Sasol South Africa as a Senior Specialist: Planning and Optimisation. Phathutshedzo Matamela obtained a BCom degree (2015) and works as a Forex Sales Trader at Global Markets: Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking. Mulweli Matamela holds a BEng Industrial degree (2019) cum laude works as an Optimization Engineer at ETA oprerations, and Lutendo Mulaudzi, who graduated with a BCom degree (2009), works at Nakiseni Business Enterprise as an Operations Manager.

Netshapapame says his mining engineering degree has given him an international edge that set him up for a truly global career. “I have travelled and worked in all corners of the world, and I have trained and learned from some of the best minds in the mining space. The qualification has also allowed for lifelong learning, as I have gone on to attain a postgraduate diploma and I am currently doing the second year of my MBA qualification.”

Phathutshedzo Matamela says UP helped him to obtain employment soon after graduation. He says during his final year, UP boasted an employment placement rate of over 90% for its graduates –  within six months of graduating. “The association to UP does open doors in the world of work,” he says.

However, recent graduate Mulweli Matamela admits that obtaining a cum laude for her degree was not smooth sailing. She struggled to establish good habits that could help her to do well academically, she also struggled to find like-minded people with whom she could walk the path to success with. “Life after graduation has been filled with a lot of questions and reflections on the trajectory of my career path, trying to figure out what comes next. But I have also been focused on pursuing post graduate studies.”

One thing the siblings agree on is that alumni must develop a substantial number of contacts throughout their career if they are to wield a significant influence in their industry. Alumni’s role should be to direct this leverage back to their alma mater and this can be in a financial form or through mentoring initiatives.

Reminiscing on her past at Tuks, Netshishivhe says it is been 10 years since she completed her degree, but some of her highlights were her ability to score distinctions in her first year of study, even though she was from a rural high school. The only disadvantage of coming from a rural high school was computer literacy. “I did not have any computer skills when I arrived at the University and had to learn very quickly. Another challenge was understanding the concepts of mechanical drawing and engineering design. Luckily the trust fund I was with at the time organised a tutor to assist and I aced my academics.”

Netshapapame advises prospective students that if they want a qualification that will allow them to compete globally, UP is the place for them. He says life has been an adventure since he left Tuks. “After an initial spell in South African mines, I have had an interesting and adventurous career since my move to the mining software space about eight years ago. One moment I would be training clients at a site in Akyem, Ghana, or I would be working with clients in remote areas such as one of the highest mines in the world – the Grasberg Open pit mine in Indonesia, giving a presentation at a geotechnical conference in Finland, or attending a sales kick-off meeting in Los Angeles.

“This has allowed one to travel to some of the greatest cities in the world: New York, Aachen, Instabul, Perth, and Abidjan to name a few. So, I have spent a considerable amount of time post my graduation at international airports. Amid all the travel, I have been able to also get married to my lovely wife and start a family in the process.”