{"id":4174,"date":"2024-10-24T06:37:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T06:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?page_id=4174"},"modified":"2026-02-09T10:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T10:49:10","slug":"our-alumni-applied-physical-sciences","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/our-alumni-applied-physical-sciences\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Alumni – Applied Physical Sciences Department – FACS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our Alumni<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Meet some of our accomplished alumni in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT):<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Our Alumni<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The First and Only Black Female Aircraft Engineer Employed by SAA Technical<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Name: Lefentse<\/strong><\/p>

Surname: Phokwane<\/strong><\/p>

Year completed: 2015<\/strong><\/p>

Time I took to get employment after graduation:<\/strong><\/p>

I completed S4 in December 2008. In July 2009, I started an apprenticeship in Aircraft Avionics (Electrical) till 2012. Thereafter, I started working as an NDT Inspector.<\/p>

Prospects:<\/strong><\/p>

Managing NDT section\/ Level 3<\/p>

What\u2019s the value of NDT in your current work?<\/strong><\/p>

NDT is a way to detect and evaluate\/flaws in a material within the aviation\/ aerospace industry. NDT plays a vital role in the design, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft, aircraft components or parts. Coming from the maintenance sector, safety is the most critical aspect in aviation. There is no room for error. The aircraft, aircraft component or part must be inspected periodically throughout their useful life as they are prone to develop defects because of fatigue and stress which may cause malfunction. NDT ensues\/ guarantees safety, reliability, serviceability and airworthiness.<\/p>

Why would you recommend NDT to prospective students?<\/strong><\/p>

The use of NDT in aviation\/ aerospace is increasing. Job opportunities are limitless. NDT is used in a very wide range of industries such as oil and gas, aviation, energy, power, nuclear and transport. NDT is never stagnant, there is always the opportunity to diversify into different methods or specialize in one method to an advance level of competence.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Self-employed and started her own NDT company called \u2018Integrity NDT Company.\u2019\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Name: Palesa<\/strong><\/p>

Surname: Shamase<\/strong><\/p>

Year completed: 2010<\/strong><\/p>

Time I took to get employment after<\/strong> graduation:<\/strong><\/p>

Zero days. When I wrote my final exam in S4 I had an interview right after the exam and I was employed the following week. I was employed by De-Tect Unit Inspection from 2009 \u2013 2016. As of June 2016, I started an NDT company with partners, called Integrity NDT Company.<\/p>

What\u2019s the value of NDT in your current work?<\/strong><\/p>

Currently I am in the manufacturing and in-service business of the pressure vessels industry. I carry out NDT tasks daily. We are entrusted with ensuring that pressure vessels leave the workshop in a state that they would not be a danger to anyone on site. For example, you would not want an unfortunate event of having a pressure vessel explode on site which could kill or injure people. You would also not want a gas leak because of a defect missed by an NDT specialist.<\/p>

Prospects:<\/strong><\/p>

While I have accomplished my goal in starting my own company, my future plans are still in quality control, although not necessarily in NDT.<\/p>

Why would you recommend NDT to prospective students?<\/strong><\/p>

NDT is a very interesting industry that aids you with so much discipline. This can easily be deployed into your everyday life to avoid things from going wrong; quality control is present and is vital in our everyday life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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NDE Specialist at Phalabora Mining Company<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Name: Simon<\/strong><\/p>

Surname: Boloko<\/strong><\/p>

Year completed: 2005 for in-service training. In 2011, I completed the module that was left behind and graduated in 2012<\/strong><\/p>

Time it took to get employment after graduation:<\/strong><\/p>

I was already working when I graduated.<\/p>

Science and engineering found in NDT diploma aligned me to be able to participate and work closely with process safety (Chemical engineers) in terms of asset integrity. It prepared me to be able to translate NDT standards and specifications into NDT instructions \u2013 the diploma gave me knowledge to be able to interpret, assess and evaluate existing company technical manuals and procedures; identifying and classifying type of damage failure and provide inputs and solutions; to provide engineering inputs to business plans and provide inputs into budget process; has provided me with active involvement in existing and new life cycle of engineering asset and maintenance.<\/p>

Why would you recommend the NDT to prospective students?<\/strong><\/p>

It is knowledge based, good for career development, new avenue of auditing for engineering quality. There are gaps in the civil engineering industry that could be opened by the NDT diploma. There are gaps in the Fixed Asset Management Insurance companies for verifying and auditing NDE inspections and results. There are gaps in NDT service consulting company for policing the quality of jobs offering to their clients; Audit risk toward safety inspection for quality and integrity of the plans; Assessing plants for risk profiling in relations to insurance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Manager at Stanley Inspection of South Africa, Kendal Power Station<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Name: Zikhona<\/strong><\/p>

Surname: Hlazo<\/strong><\/p>

Year completed: 2008<\/strong><\/p>

Time it took to get employment after graduation:<\/strong><\/p>

Almost two years.<\/p>

What is the value of NDT in your current work?<\/strong><\/p>

NDT is the work I do; my strong Technical background is what gives me the confidence to lead a very well knowledgeable team of diverse individuals. However, the value of starting at a varsity\/ college environment sets you apart as you learn to engage with like-minded people as much as we all come from different backgrounds.<\/p>

Prospects:<\/strong><\/p>

I would like to be in a space where I can teach, inspire and guide. My industry is very discriminating against WOMEN. Future research, guidance and continue to be the first in whatever space I occupy.<\/p>

Why would you recommend NDT to prospective students?<\/strong><\/p>

Sometimes it\u2019s not about the course itself, it is what the course can lead you to do or accomplish. NDT is still a closed for the elite course and pushing to be part of breaking that society must be something that you want to be part of.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Employed by Eskom as a Quality Officer<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Name: Dakalo<\/strong><\/p>

Surname: Tshishonga<\/strong><\/p>

Year completed: 2013<\/strong><\/p>

Time it took to get employment after graduation:<\/strong><\/p>

I got my first job while I was studying S4. I never stayed at home.<\/p>

What\u2019s the value of NDT in your current work?<\/strong><\/p>

NDT is a specialized career where I\u2019m currently working. It plays a vital role and is part of statutory requirements as per pressure regulations for power plants. Eskom cannot operate the pressure parts after refurbishment without inspecting them using different types of NDT methods.<\/p>

Prospects:<\/strong><\/p>

Furthering my studies for my Masters in Engineering, specializing in Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (NDT Inspection Technology).<\/p>

Why would you recommend NDT to prospective students?<\/strong><\/p>

Because NDT is one of the fastest \u2013 growing careers in the world and a variety of industries need this special skill in order to meet their customer requirements and give assurance for reliability, including safety.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Alumni Meet some of our accomplished alumni in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT): Our Alumni The First and Only Black Female […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[102,51],"tags":[162,193],"class_list":["post-4174","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-applied-physical-sciences-department-facs","category-faculty-of-applied-and-computer-sciences","tag-alumni","tag-applied-physical-sciences-department"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4174"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13492,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4174\/revisions\/13492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}