Takalani Netshipale
Science, Tech, Energy, and Innovation
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Age:
30
Project Name/Description:
Engineer – KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health
An award-winning civil engineer, researcher and applications developer, Takalani Netshipale has cemented herself as a force to be reckoned with in design engineering, construction and public sector projects. Currently working as an engineer for the KZN health department, Netshipale holds a BEng (Hons) in Structural Engineering from the University of Pretoria. Her illustrious career has seen her develop intelligent transport and road solutions with tolling options for countries like Togo, Cameroon and Uganda, ensuring sustainable toll infrastructure and cost-cutting through an innovative mobile toll collection infrastructure called InstaToll. Again, she collaborated with Intertoll Africa and MTN to develop Johannesburg Roads Agency’s award-winning service delivery app, Find & Fix. In addition to being a 2024 Unsung Hero, Netshipale’s professional exploits have earned her awards such as the 2023 Women in the Built Environment Most Valued Ambassador, the 2022 South African Institution of Civil Engineering Graduate of the Year, as well as being the WomEng #1millionGirlsInSTEM International Ambassador, among others. She has also addressed the Big 5 Construct Southern Africa Conference, the 9th UNESCO Africa Engineering Week and the 30th Institution of Engineers Kenya (IEK) conference. Takalani Netshipale believes that even though government has provided equal opportunities for the youth over the past 30 years, “acceleration is required in the next five years to ensure the rising rate of unemployment, underage pregnancies, and criminal activities is exceeded by the rate of implementation of sustainable solutions and the growth of a nation driving science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
