SAIW BURSARY WINNERS 2023 – Nhlonipho Myeza

A Rising Star in Engineering - Bursary Recipient's Inspiring Journey

Nhlonipho Myeza, one of our four 2023 Level 1 Inspector Bursary recipients, hails from the humble village of eMkhazini in KZN, where dreams of becoming an engineer lit up his path to rise from a challenging background. Despite numerous hurdles, Nhlonipho's unwavering determination has propelled him toward a promising future in engineering. 

Read more about his incredible journey here:

Q. Please provide some background on where you come from, your school and tertiary education?

A. I come from a small village in KZN call eMkhazini south of Durban. I grew up with my three siblings in a one room shack. We didn't have much as my mother was a domestic worker and my father was a taxi driver. I remember growing up I always wanted to make better life for myself and my family. I had a dream of becoming an engineer one day, my parents knew this and always pushed and encouraged me to work hard at school. I performed well throughout my schooling career with my best performance in matric. This performance was a ticket for me to go and do what I've always dreamt of growing up. In 2012 I was accepted to go study BSc Chemical Engineering at UKZN Howard college.

Q. What are some of the biggest challenges that you have faced during your life so far and how have you overcome these?

A. This turned out to be the most challenging period in my life, I came from a poor background, I struggled financially, struggled to afford crucial study material, struggled for stationery, struggled for food. This crippled my performance, and the following year I was financially excluded because I did not pay the previous year fees. This meant I had to go back home empty handed. I was hurt and disappointed. It was at this time that I started job hunting, fortunately a few months later I got accepted for an apprenticeship for welding, at the time I had very little knowledge about technical skills, but I challenged myself to learn as much as I can and do my best. I did very well in my training and finished within the required time.

Q. What would you say are the biggest i. work and ii. life lessons you have learnt thus far in your life or even a quote or saying that sums up your approach to life?

A. My philosophy in life is to always give your 100% in whatever you do. There's always space to learn something new. I believe you should never get too comfortable and always strive to do better, which is why I think this bursary is a wonderful opportunity for me. The SAIW is a world class institution and I believe this would the perfect platform to grow my knowledge and myself in the industry.

Q. How do you hope to take your career to even greater heights once you have achieved your SAIW qualification - what are your plans for the future?

A. I am both humbled and thrilled to be selected to be a participant in the program. This means a lot to me, a brighter future for myself and my family and a step closer towards my dream of being an engineer.