7 things to know about engineers

Ever wondered what engineers are really like? Let’s take a lighthearted look at these complex problem solvers with some insight from someone who’s been married to a civil engineer for almost 15 years. They can be masters of DIY. This will depend on their field of engineering, but it’s likely that home DIY projects will…

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What does an electrical engineer do?

It’s almost impossible to give a short answer to this question, but if we had to try, we’d say that electrical engineers are the brains behind anything to do with electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. So that’s how it comes to be that power stations, the internet, navigation systems, and telecommunication networks – seemingly very different…

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What does an engineer do?

Engineering is all around us. And we engage with it every day in almost every aspect of our lives. From the smartphone that connects you to your world to the car that gets you from A to B and the office building you work in – all of these require the specialised skills of an…

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Meet Hannes Van Schalkwyk, civil engineer

Hannes van Schalkwyk was born in Namibia, but with a father who worked as an accountant for a mining company, he spent much of his childhood in South Africa, moving from one small town to another. In 1996, having completed his engineering studies at Technikon Pretoria, he returned to his country of birth and, before…

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Meet Bartle Rautenbach, Engineering Technician

Bartle Rautenbach (affectionately referred to by his colleagues as Oom Bartle) was born in Usakos, a small town on the banks of the Khan River in the Erongo Region. He joined the Lithon office in Swakopmund (just 140 km away from his birthplace) in January 2009 at the peak of his career – one that…

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Modern marvels of structural engineering

Why do we feel confident taking lifts to the tops of tall buildings or driving through kilometres-long tunnels? Because structural engineers have made it safe for us to do so. These highly skilled professionals take architectural designs and ambitions and make them structurally possible. As the Institution of Structural Engineers explains, they “design the strength…

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Finding purpose through Lithon Staff Development Programme

Lithon Project Consultants CEO, Gert Maritz, is incredibly excited about the expanding possibilities at the Namibian-based engineering consulting firm. Along with his raft of new responsibilities, he is deeply committed to overseeing and advancing the staff development plan he designed during his tenure as COO. Formally implemented over two years ago, the programme is based…

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Meet Fred Mudge

2021 has been a big year for structural engineer Fred Mudge. Not only does it mark his fourth year as a member of the Lithon team, he’s also just married his university sweetheart. We chatted to him on his first day back from honeymoon in Zanzibar to find out more about career highlights, what motivates…

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Meet Magretha Vlok, COO of Lithon Holdings

Magretha Vlok isn’t most people’s idea of a typical engineer. Colourful and confident, with a sense of style to match – she firmly believes that “beige isn’t a colour” and has been known on occasion to team tartan with African and animal prints. This newly appointed COO of Lithon Holdings brings energy, experience and a…

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Mentorship: It’s part of the strategy

In 2002, Adriaan and Adri Grobler founded Lithon with a vision of positively impacting people’s lives. Initially, their focus was on making a meaningful difference to nearby communities in need. However, as the business developed, and the team grew, it became clear that they could also realise their vision within the company itself – by…

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