PROFILE: This is my story - Madute Rapulane

Civil Engineer Madute Rapulane, who believes that most of the issues facing the South African hardhatINDUSTRY and the country as a whole are due to the fact that our society rewards social status and wealth over ability, shares his hardhatSTORY about a project that confirmed that he is on the right track in his quest to develop his career through ability.

Each project I have worked on has had a significant impact on my career. I believe the one that had the greatest impact was a mega project called The Mokolo-Crocodile Water Augmentation Project. In this project, I was a junior engineer whose role was to design the civil infrastructure and coordinate the consolidation of other infrastructure such as mechanical and electrical to allow for a holistic incorporation of components on the project.

This project stands out to me because it was very large and complex. Everything I did on the project was new to me. It also involved working with a large team made up of three companies and several EME/QSE. The big lesson I learned on the project was that communication is very important when working in a large team. Many components of the project are interlinked, so a change or adjustment in something I am working on can affect others. If we do not communicate those changes, there will be clashes or other problems because the team will not be aware of the changes. This can lead to delays in correcting the misalignment.

Part of communication is also understanding what others are saying. My biggest regret was not confirming some of the information communicated to me. This led to things not getting done as communicated. A similar problem was experienced with communication to EME/QSE. My takeaway lesson was to always reiterate what was communicated and confirm that I understood the assignment. I also requested others to confirm their understanding of what I had communicated before they started the assignment.

Confirmation of growth and contribution to the project from the project team and the client was the most satisfying to me careerwise. When the team acknowledged my contributions and hard work, it was very reassuring that I was on the right track in my skills development.

The civil engineering industry is said to be one of the toughest industries, but I honestly do not see myself fitting in another industry. However, I must admit that there have been moments when I have lost hope in the South African hardhat industry and looked outside for better opportunities. This is especially when I see the imbalance in the industry, which is rooted in the entrance of individuals who do not have industry-specific qualifications but are favored to win the bulk of the projects because of their connections, rather than those with skills and suitable industry experience.

Madute Rapulane is a Civil Engineer, who graduated with a Bachelors in Engineering from the University of Pretoria. With 7 years of experience in the Water & Sanitation sector. His experience ranges from Stormwater to Bulk Earthworks, Dams and Bulk Water Infrastructure. 3D Modeling, Project Management and Construction Supervision. 

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