Let's Explore Extraordinary Careers Together!

Warren Dawson - Ethical Hacker
warren@ironrobot.co.za

He eats, sleeps, and lives everything digital - in particular online. By trade, he’s a digital lead and certified ethical hacker, by heart I'm a total geek who loves data, graphs, cool innovations, trending topics, and new technology. Warren has been fortunate as his trade and his heart are in the same place and as he’s always been told, "Do what you love" and he’s been doing what he loves for over 20 years.

Khumo Moerane - Video Game Composer/ Developer
khumo@africaspaceprogramme.com

Africa Space Programme Video Games Studio and Publishing were both founded by Khumo Moerane in 2019. Their first video game Kea’s World: Tselane and the Giant is a magical 2.5D platform adventure game about exploring and restoring African folklore. He wants to create games that speak to African video game players, games that resonate with them and in doing this we will get their buy-in and support in helping to grow our industry in Africa.

Dr. Natasha Karenyi - Marine biologist
Natasha.Karenyi@uct.ac.za

Dr. Natasha is a marine benthic ecologist and runs the @marbel_uct lab. Her research aims to find out what drives the distribution of marine invertebrate species and communities. She is also involved in marine ecosystem classification and mapping, marine biodiversity, and statistical ecology research (UCT-SEEC). She hopes that women will face whatever challenges they may have in life with courage. She hopes that women will realise that their voices are valuable and needed in the scientific space and that their perspectives can change the direction of marine and polar research.

Dr. Keneiloe Molopyane - Cave Explorer
keneiloe.molopyane2@wits.ac.za

She is an archaeologist and biological anthropologist by training. Dr. Keneioloe’s excavation experience includes working at multiple Iron Age sites, underwater archaeology, and very recently paleoanthropological sites. She is currently a Researcher at the Centre of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand. She is a palaeoscience Super Scientist. A superheroine, who is an explorer at heart and aims to inspire young minds to consider a career in palaeoscience. She’s a “bit” of a foodie and loves food so much that she once tried to start a pop-up kitchen…Bone’s Eatery.

Kyle Stroebel - Colourist
kyle@refinery.co.za

Kyle is a motion picture colourist currently based out of The Refinery, Cape Town. He is best known for popping colours, creating transcendent moods, and crying profusely that one time while accepting a BAFTA. Kyle splits his time between short-form commercial projects and long-form narrative films and brings an eye for detail to any piece. With over 15 years of experience, he has been able to curate a unique style suited to contemporary filmmaking, and has worked on a Netflix Original documentary film My Octopus Teacher. He combines a technical knowledge – forged in the fires of celluloid film and the world of telecine – with a creative flare and emotional understanding of film language. He spends his free time diving underwater, exploring South African small towns, and telling friends he’s better at tennis than he really is.

Nomsa Ngoma – Special Effects Make-up artist
nomsangoma74@gmail.com

Nomsa Ngoma is a creative and professional makeup artist with over 10 year’s experience in beauty and special effects makeup. She has worked with various production house’s such as Spitfire tv, Pula Dula production, and Incommon production to mention a few, and has bagged gigs for local movies and series which have aired on Showmax, Mzansi Magic and Etv. Her portfolio includes having worked with renowned professional photographer - Nick Boulton on various commercial ads.

Minenhle Khoza - Flavourist
minenhlek@uj.ac.za

A lecturer and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) co-ordinator at the University of Johannesburg’s department of biotechnology and food technology. As a WIL coordinator, Minenhle Khoza assists students with preparation for the working world, which includes interviewing and CV-writing skills, and applications for WIL and internship. Since 2020, Khoza has helped over 160 undergraduate students get internships and 15 graduates to secure employment. She is the chief executive of Faculty of Best Advisory, an NPO at which she facilitates career guidance workshops for high school and university students, and assists matriculants from partner schools in applying for tertiary education opportunities.

Mhlangabezi Mdutyana – Biogeochemist
mhlanga.mdutyana@gmail.com

Dr. Mhlangabezi’s is SA’s first black observational ocean biogeochemist. His academic background is in botany and has recently pursued a career in marine biogeochemistry dealing with nutrient uptake (nitrogen cycle). This entails oceanography’s ability to link different science fields and exploring such knowledge is both interesting and exciting for him. His goal is to inspire young and upcoming black scientists and to contribute to nurturing and producing the next generation of exceptional black researchers “who look like me and who come from the communities I come from”.