About Us
Who is IPET?
The Institute of Professional Engineering Technologists (IPET) is the recognised professional body for engineering technologists in South Africa. We represent and support professionals who bridge the gap between theoretical engineering and practical application. Our members work across multiple disciplines — from civil and mechanical to electrical, chemical, and beyond — playing a critical role in building, maintaining, and advancing the nation’s infrastructure and industries.
What is IPET about?
IPET is more than just a professional association — it is a community dedicated to empowering technologists.
We promote professional and ethical standards to ensure that technologists are respected within the engineering profession.
We support lifelong learning through structured Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, events, and resources.
We create platforms for connection — linking technologists with peers, industry leaders, and academic partners.
We advocate for recognition, ensuring that the contributions of technologists are acknowledged at every level of industry and government.
In short, IPET is about equipping technologists with the tools, credibility, and network to thrive in their careers while contributing to the growth of South Africa.
What is the Vision of IPET?
Our vision is to be the recognised home and voice of engineering technologists in South Africa.
We aim to build a future where:
The expertise of technologists is highly valued.
Career development and progression are actively supported.
Contributions to industry, society, and national development are celebrated and respected.
IPET envisions a profession where technologists stand proudly alongside engineers and other professionals as equal partners in driving innovation, sustainability, and progress.
Meet the Team
Matthew Schouw
- Qualifications: BTech in Mechanical Engineering, MEng in Energy (CPUT); pursuing DEng.
- Current Role: Lecturer and Researcher in Maritime Studies at CPUT.
- Specialisation: Solar energy systems, thermal heat pumps, energy efficiency, machine learning in mechanical systems.
- Professional Registration: Candidate Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: IPET Council Member, teaches engineering and software applications; active in research and academic mentorship.
Mukhethwa Matshaya
- Qualifications: BTech in Structural Engineering, PGDip in Business Administration (Wits).
- Current Role: Civil Structural Technologist and Project Manager.
- Specialisation: Structural engineering, multi-disciplinary project delivery, digital transformation.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA), PMP (PMI) and PMP certified.
- Contributions: IPET Council Member, passionate mentor, focuses on sustainability and community development in engineering.
Obakeng Mogatlanyane
- Qualifications: National Diploma and BTech in Civil Engineering (TUT), MEng, pursuing PhD pursuing MSc Eng (Civil) at Wits.
- Current Role: Civil Engineering Technologist.
- Specialisation: Urban engineering.
- Professional Registration: Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: Committed to youth mentorship and academic growth; plans to enhance IPET’s academic impact.
Ron Berkers
- Qualifications: Master’s in Civil Engineering, Honours in Chemistry, Degree in Mathematics/Chemistry.
- Current Role: Lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology.
- Specialisation: Construction materials for roadworks, lab and field research.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: President of IPET (2021–2024), involved with SABS, SANAS, SAT; renowned educator and standards contributor.
Sihle Magaga
- Qualifications: BTech (Chemical Engineering), MPhil (Engineering Management), BSc Hons (Water Utilization & Management of Technology).
- Current Role: Consultant Process Technologist at Rand Water.
- Specialisation: Process design, infrastructure asset management in the water sector.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: ECSA reviewer, mentor, active in youth education through NPOs in Limpopo and Gauteng.
Tronél Candiotes-Strydom
- Qualifications: BTech in Civil Engineering.
- Current Role: Resident Engineer at GIBB on SANRAL projects.
- Specialisation: Roadworks, traffic systems, water and sewer infrastructure
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: Assessor and trainer at ECSA; active in community outreach through Unity in Africa’s iGems programme.
Welheminah Nthangeni
- Qualifications: Pr Tech Eng, AgilePM® Practitioner.
- Current Role: Programme Manager at Rand Water
- Specialisation: Energy and water infrastructure, project and programme management.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: ECSA Assessor and CPD reviewer, Deputy Chairperson for BESAB; member of multiple industry bodies including IPET and WISA.
Chris Mynhardt
- Qualifications: National Diploma and BTech in Civil Engineering.
- Current Role: Freelancing in Civil Engineering Infrastructure.
- Specialisation: Civil engineering design, construction, tendering, and senior project management.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng & Pr Techni Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: Over 45 years’ experience; former IPET President (2019–2021); Honorary Fellow of IPET; Member of SAICE; Member of SAT; ECSA assessor and moderator; Financial Manager of IPET.
Arlette Bibi Molapo
- Qualifications: BTech in Structural Engineering
- Current Role: Civil Engineering Technologist at Rinka Africa (Pty) Ltd.
- Specialisation: Structural engineering, project and construction management, sustainable design practices.
- Professional Registration: Candidate Technologist (ECSA).
- Contributions: IPET Graduate Member; SAICE Associate; founder of Nandi Sustainable Services; promotes digital transformation.
Bongani Masombuka
- Qualifications: National Diploma, Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, Adv. Diploma in Project Management, Master’s in Engineering Management.
- Current Role: Senior Project Manager at SANRAL.
- Specialisation: National road infrastructure, project execution, risk and quality management.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA), PMP (PMI).
- Contributions: IPET Council Member; ECSA CPD and Virtual Panel Reviewer; SATC paper reviewer.
Kwezi Chabikuli
- Qualifications: He holds a BTech in Civil engineering from former Technikon Witwatersrand now known as University of Johannesburg (UJ) in 1996.
- Current Role: Executive directorship in Thandabatho Managers, a civil engineering firm, where he is a sole member.
- Specialisation: Professional engineering technologist.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng.
- Contributions: He served on voluntary basis on varous committees of Engineering Council of South Africa and South African Institution of Civil Engineering.
Annelize Lloyd (Anna)
- Qualifications: B Tech Eng (UNISA).
- Current Role: Consulting Structural Technologist at VIAPLAN Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers Port Alfred, EC.
- Specialisation: Structural Design, Site Supervision, Management and Contract Administration.
- Professional Registration: ECSA Pr Tech Eng.
- Contributions: 19 Years’ experience in Structural Engineering.
Develop workshops assisting building contractors to understand basic engineering and interpret plans and schedules. IPET councillor 2025/2026, IPET Member, Saice Member.
Matthieu Bodika
- Qualifications: B.Tech in Civil Engineering (UNISA), M.Tech in Construction Management (UJ), PhD candidate in Construction Management (UJ).
- Current Role: Professional Engineer at Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA).
- Specialisation: Municipal infrastructure, water, sewer, road and stormwater systems, Civil engineering design and construction.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA), Pr Eng Tech (ET).
- Contributions: Council member IPET, Corporate member of SAICE, ECSA assessor, reviewer, moderator and mentor.
Bruno Tayo
- Qualifications: Master Engineering in Structural & B.Tech in Civil Engineering.
- Current Role: Civil Technologist Designer.
- Specialisation: Civil Engineering.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA), PMP (PMI).
- Contributions: Registered as a Professional Civil Engineering Technologist with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), since 2016. Have consistently developed an expertise in civil engineering principles, techniques, and practices, allowing me to competently design, plan, construct, and maintain a wide range of infrastructure projects. With over 24 years of experience in civil engineering, I have progressed from a Civil Engineering Technician to my current role as a Professional Senior Civil Technologist.
Takalani Mashamba
- Qualifications: PhD- Industrial Engineering.
- Current Role: Project Manager at Rand Water.
- Specialisation: Energy and Water Infrastructure, Project and Programme Management.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA).
- Contributions: ECSA reviewer, Mentor, active in research and development, and academic mentorship.
Ernst Hendrik Wolfaardt
- Qualifications: National Diploma Civil Engineering (1986), National Higher Diploma Civil Engineering (1988), Higher Education Diploma – Technical (2002), National Certificate – Multi-Disciplinary Drawing Office Practice (2005).
- Current Role: Owner of Wolf Professional Services.
- Specialisation: Structural design, forensic structural investigations, roof inspections, timber engineering, and training.
- Professional Registration: Pr Tech Eng (ECSA), Member of IPET.
- Contributions: Over 30 years of experience; serves as trainer, standards contributor (SANS 10163), A19 inspector, and structural investigator across various private and public sector projects.
Adrian Vermaak
- Qualifications: National Diploma Electrical Engineering.
- Current Role: Projects Mentor.
- Specialisation: Electrical mentoring and training towards ECSA registration.
- Professional Registration: Professional Engineering Technologist (International).
- Contributions: Developing and Training.
Meet the Women in Engineering as Engineering Technologists
Our History
The Goode Committee, instituted by the Government in 1974
to report on the Education, Training and Status of the Engineering Technician in South Africa, published its Report in 1978.
One of its recommendations was that a definite need now existed for the introduction of another member into the engineering team of professional and certificated engineers, and engineering technicians. This person was to be known as the engineering technologist. A further recommendation was that societies should be established to look after the interests of technologists and technicians if they did not exist already.
On 5 February 1979, the convening and first meeting of the Interim Committee for Establishing Boards of Control for “Non-Professional Engineers” (ICBOC) took place in Johannesburg under the auspices of the Federation of Societies of Professional Engineers (FSPE).
The first Chairman and the first Secretary was Professor G.P.R. von Willich of the SA Institution of Civil Engineers, and D.P. du Plooy of the Aeronautical Society of South Africa. The members of this Committee were nominated mostly by the various technical societies in existence at that time.
It was instructed to investigate the feasibility of registration under a Board of Control for the above-mentioned category of engineers. It took the Committee a little more than two years to find that such a need did exist. In the process, the name of the Committee was changed to the Interim Committee for the Registration of Technologists and Engineers (ICRTE).
On September 1981, The South Africa Association of Registrable Engineers and Technologists (SAARET) was formed.
John Galgut was elected as the first President of the new body. The new formed SAARET replaced ICRTE, which was disbanded in November of the same year.
Apart from the recruitment of members for the association, its main function at that time was to prepare the documentation for the establishment of the Board of Control for the Registration of Professional Technologists (Engineering). This became possible after the necessary changes to the Professional Engineers’ Act of 1969 were made. SAARET completed this task in 1984 and the Board commenced its operations in 1985 by considering applications for registration as Professional Technologists (Engineering).
Guthrie Head was the Chairman of the Board of Control from its inception until dissolution in 1990.
SAARET changed its name to the South African Association of Registrable Engineering Technologists, the acronym remaining as SAARET. With the promulgation of the Engineering Profession of South Africa Act in 1990, the Board of Control was disbanded. The Act combined the Boards of Control for Technologists, Certificated Engineers and Technicians and the SA Council for Professional Engineers into one unifying body viz. – the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).
Very Soon after the profession Act of 1990,
SAARET received many requests from its members to meet not only their purely vocational but other needs as well. As a result, SAARET decided that it should also become involved in activities normally associated with those of learned societies.
As a first step, in depth consideration was given to provide a name for this body more in line with the new thinking. At the Annual General Meeting held in August 1994, it was unanimously agreed that the name of SAARET be changed to Institute of Professional Engineering Technologists (IPET)
