Growing
up in the tough neighbourhoods of Rusthof in Strand, Western Cape, I
am a glowing example of a young person whose determination has
triumphed over adversity. From an early age, I have maintained a
highly disciplined lifestyle, to ensure success in my career and personal life.
After
completion of Matric, I entered the Institute for Satellite &
Software Applications (ISSA), an
initiative of the Department of Communications (DoC) on a one-year
Information Technology internship program. Starting in 2004 I was
placed as an intern in the Software Development Unit. Here I began
to develop my skills on computer
repairs, service and upgrades as well as in setting up computer
networks.
I
completed a short course in Macromedia Dreamweaver and MYSQL Database
Administration to give me the educational knowledge on website
design. At UNISA I studied towards a National Diploma in IT Management and have done several short courses in computer repairs, networking and security. I was involved in several inter-governmental projects and as
a result, I was chosen to join the high-powered team that was
designing the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP)
website. This was an international collaboration project of the
Department of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Government and the
security requirements of this project were enormous.
I
am managing an in-house developed quoting system and are
responsible to ensure high levels of availability and security. I
participate in the planning and implementation of policies and
procedures to ensure system provisioning and maintenance that is
consistent with company goals, industry best practices, and
regulatory requirements. I am currently doing the Media24 Management Development Programme which is endorsed by the business school of the University of Cape Town.
Throughout
my career I have travelled to all 9 provinces in South Africa where I
have been privileged to visit the main tourism attractions in the
major towns. Abroad, I went to Hong Kong and Indonesia and it was
quite an experience to learn more about these cultures.
Though I am extremely focussed on my career, I make time to have fun and love the outdoors. I consider myself being a very adventurous person and recent adrenalin-rushing excursions were great white Shark cage diving in Gansbay and bungee jumping at the world's highest bungee bridge, Bloukrans. I am a member of a local athletics club where I participate in weekly time trials and completed the Two Oceans 21km Marathon earlier this year.
At
home, I enjoy spending time in the kitchen where I experiment with
new ideas and recipes. I am a very happy, optimistic, joyful and
positive person and to express this I often encourage family,
friends, colleagues and acquaintances with an inspirational quote or
message. I have learnt that positive emotions spread to others and
they enable us to be more resourceful and flexible.
My
blog will not be focussed on a specific topic but the general idea is
to share my thoughts, ideas and opinions on various topics. I want to
express my unbiased view on everyday things that affects us. This
will be a gradually developing, open-minded blog spot, therefore the
name “Progressive Thoughts”.
