Our Team

Moses is a Business Development Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Prior to joining Opti-Num, Moses worked for an International software vendor for 3 years, starting off as a TPAM (Trusted advisor to RSA OD Resellers) to Internal Sales Development Specialist. Moses has a National Diploma in Information and Communication Technology, which he completed at Vaal University of Technology. At Opti-Num, Moses specialises as a 1st line contact focusing on the Education market offering software and services to South African and African Universities. Transforming the way engineers and scientist think and work is his number 1 priority.

Dean has a Masters Degree from University of Witwatersrand, where he also lectured undergraduate and postgraduate level courses on introductory engineering programming, electric circuits, control and system identification theory until 2000. He has been involved in a wide variety of projects in a broad range of industries, including identification and control studies for minerals processing plants, control design and PLC implementation for ferrochrome pilot plants, development of software test beds and simulation models for aerospace and defence systems, and software development projects for automated analysis systems. He has also worked on teams where he has been actively involved in all phases of software engineering for MATLAB and Simulink add-on products marketed and distributed worldwide by MathWorks. Dean also has experience in software design, business process improvement, IT systems implementation, and people and process management.

Grant is a director at Opti-Num Solutions where he is responsible for managing the sales, engineering and consulting teams. Prior to joining Opti-Num Solutions, Grant lectured signals and systems theory, control systems, and modelling courses at Wits University. It was at Wits that Grant obtained his PhD. Grant has a broad range of experience and has consulted on projects in the mineral processing, petrochemical, power generation, aerospace and defence and financial industries. He has experience in physical system modelling and simulation, control system design, signal processing, financial analytics and modelling, optimization, C and VHDL code generation, safety critical code development, software development, software sales and company management and corporate strategy.

Boitumelo is an Application Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. She has a BEngSc in Biomedical Engineering and a BScEng in Electrical Engineering, both obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand. Boitumelo is passionate about technology and hopes to use it to advance the field of medicine. She has experience working with MATLAB Software, during which time she developed skills working with the Image Processing, Signal Processing, Digital Signal Processing and Wavelet toolboxes as well as Simulink. Moving forward she is developing expertise in the Engineering Data Analytics and Machine Learning application areas.

Kirsten is passionate about using MATLAB and Simulink for complex problem solving, which generally take the shape of mathematical modelling in a wide range of different disciplines. Kirsten originally started in the consulting team in 2014, and has a background in using MATLAB as a formal software development platform for software engineering. She also has experience using Simulink for signal processing and system engineering. Before joining Opti-Num Solutions she worked as an electrical engineer on reticulation projects for RDP houses, building services, and rail electrical refurbishment at GIBB. Kirsten has an MSc(Eng) in the field of mathematical modelling for physiological systems. Kirsten aspires to bridge the gap between innovation, technology and learning. Some of her side projects which work contribute to this are the Tshimologong Digital Innovations Precinct, as well as the development of STEM in our immediate community through an organization called Ignition. Her main passion is exploring different initiatives to develop the medical devices industry in South Africa, to find a way to actively contribute to a sustainable way of creating technology that meets the needs of the people who are most vulnerable. She believes that there is a way to bridge the collective knowledge from commercial industry, academic discovery, the passion of start-ups, with the support of government.

Praneet is an Application Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions and is a specialist in the area of Simulink and Model-Based Design using MathWorks tools. This includes modelling, simulation and targeting low-cost hardware with a primary focus on using these tools in Education. Praneet has a BSc (Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Talita is an Application Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions and is a specialist in the area of data analysis using MathWorks tools. Prior to joining the team she worked as a research and development chemist as well as a production planner at Prominent Paints. Talita has a BSc(Hons) in Textile and Polymer Science from the University of Stellenbosch and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town. During her MSc she investigated the adhesive properties of composite structures (Fibre Metal Laminates) under dynamic loading.

Thembelani is an Application Training Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions using MathWorks tools. Before Opti-Num Solutions he worked as a Physics Lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology. Thembelani has a BSc in Physics and Electronics from the University of Zululand and is currently pursuing an MPhil in Energy Studies from the University of Johannesburg in the field of reactor modelling.

Verushen is a financial Application Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. He is passionate about using statistical and probabilistic methods to unearth insights from data with the goal of benefitting society. Verushen’s intrigue for technology and human biology led him to pursue a BEngSc in Biomedical Engineering and BScEng in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. For his Honours project, Verushen co-developed an eye-tracking system which allowed a user to move and click a mouse cursor by moving their pupil.

Alessandro is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Before joining Opti-Num, Alessandro worked in the aerospace sector where he was involved in the modelling and development of rotor blade systems for helicopters and drones. Alessandro holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering and a MSc(Eng) in Gas Dynamics, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. His dissertation and research involved analysing, simulating and modelling curved axisymmetric steady shock waves using numerical and experimental techniques. He has an interest in using machine learning and mathematical modelling to solve complex real-world problems and find hidden patterns in data.

Antonio is a consultant at Opti-Num Solutions, with a keen interest in analytical problem solving and optimisation and how they can be used to better businesses. From an early age, Antonio has had a passion for problem solving which led him to studying Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and obtaining his BSc and BScH through Rhodes University. He is currently obtaining his MSc in Physics from Rhodes University, focussing on optimisation and dimensionality reduction in radio astronomy. Antonio previously spent some time working at Amazon where his interest in data analytics was sparked and as a Student Technician Coordinator at Rhodes University where his interest in working and communicating with people grew.

Danielle is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions and is passionate about machine learning, signal and image processing and computer vision applications. She is a specialist in using MathWorks tools for data analytics in engineering solutions. Danielle has a BEngSc in Biomedical Engineering and a BSc(Eng) in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys reading fantasy, creating art and computer gaming.

Dean is a consultant at Opti-Num Solutons, with a keen interest in data analytics, optimisation and machine learning. He holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Witwatersrand and aspires to complete an MBA in the future to compliment his studies. Dean has always been enthusiastic to take part in complex problem solving, trying to always obtain a simplistic and practical solution to implement in the real world.

Eunice is a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Her curiosity and love of challenges drive her need to find creative solutions to complex engineering problems. Eunice is finishing her BEng in Mechatronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University and aims to specialise in mathematical model-based design.

Jackline is a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions who is interested in the culmination of Data analysis and business value. She obtained a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Wits University and has previously worked in the rail engineering space as well as the renewables industry, primarily developing condition monitoring dashboards and performing analysis in these different fields.

Keneiloe is currently working as a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions and is passionate about machine learning, model-based designs and statistical signal processing applications. She has a BSc (Eng) in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her final year research project investigated the statistical signal processing methods that can be used to improve the performance of Mobile Global Positioning System (GPS).

Mpho Mafune is a consultant at Opti-Num Solutions with a growing focus in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics. Mpho is interested in the aspect of utilising Data Analytics to inform business strategy and decisions. Mpho was previously at PwC Cape Town where she built an overarching understanding of Business through a rotational program, here she engaged in projects with clients from across various industries including the insurance, energy and public sector. Mpho studied at the University of Cape Town and holds a BSc in Pure and Applied Mathematics with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Mathematics focusing on Dark Matter. She published a paper on inelastic macro dark matter during her final undergraduate year.

Nik is a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. He holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and is currently working on his MSc(Eng) in metal 3D printing. He enjoys mathematics, puzzles, and mathematical puzzles

Raffaella is a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering and has a keen interest in data analytics and machine learning. She wishes to pursue a post-graduate degree in computer science involving one of these fields.

Ryan is a Junior Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. He takes great pleasure in creating programs that tackle and simplify complex problems. Ryan holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from Wits University, and aspires to improve his proficiency in machine learning and data analytics, with a special focus towards Industry 4.0.

Shaylen is currently a Junior Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Shaylen obtained a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. He has a keen interest in data analytics and using practical algorithms to solve complex problems and aspires to complete his MBA in the near future.

Tania is a junior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She has a BSc. in Physics and Applied Mathematics from the University of the North West wherein her subjects ranged from thermodynamics, astro- and space physics, nuclear physics, electromagnetism to optimalisation etc. After obtaining her degree she started working as a technical skills development specialist at an insurance company while completing her BSc(Hons) in Applied Mathematics with subjects Financial Modelling, Modelling (Econometrics), Partial differential equations and Numerical analysis. Her honours project was an application of Network Algorithms and Graph theory. She then became a Research and Development Analyst at her previous company before joining Opti-Num Solutions. Tania is aspiring to do her MSc. In Artificial Intelligence at the University of Witwatersrand in the near future.

Tarutira is a consultant at Opti-Num Solutions, specialising in Business Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence. He has one year data science consulting experience and more than three years of teaching experience for both high school level and University level Mathematics and Statistics. Tarutira has an MSc degree in Financial Engineering, BScHons degree in Financial Engineering as well as a BSc degree in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics from University of Pretoria. His master’s research was focused on pricing options using Lévy processes associated with orthogonal polynomials.

Jason is a Simulink Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. He specialises in model-based design and systems and algorithm modelling using the MathWork tools. Jason aspires to promote the adoption of a model-based design workflow in South Africa with the hope that local companies can compete on a global scale. He completed his Masters in Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University which focused on the modelling of a chemical process and associated abnormal events, prior to working at Opti-Num Solutions.

Jacq is a consultant working on business intelligence and Data Analytics. Prior to working an Opti-Num Solutions, Jacq did his PhD in Applied Science at the University of Pretoria which he is in the process of concluding. The main subject of the research for his PhD is using machine learning and sampling techniques to improve identifying unknown systems based on their responses. Jacq specialises in numerical analysis and optimisation and is interested in anything that can be modeled.

Gareth joined Opti-Num in 2002 as a developer after which he moved into an Applications Engineering role in which he managed Opti-Num training and technical support whilst working on various consulting projects. In 2006 Gareth moved into Opti-Num Consulting Services full time and has been managing the consulting services from 2010. Gareth holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from University of the Witwatersrand.

Brendan is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. He gets excited about software best practices like version control, testing, and agile development. Before working at Opti-Num, he spent 4 years lecturing an introductory programming course to engineering students. Although he enjoys working on all programming problems, he absolutely loves writing infrastructure to automate boring manual tasks to make life easier. Brendan has a BSc(Eng) in Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in Gas Dynamics. His research involved simulating shock waves in air reflecting off solid objects, and then designing and building equipment to actually generate and photograph those shock waves.

Louise is a senior consultant at Opti-Num Solutions and is part of the Code Generation and Verification Team. Prior to joining the team she worked as a control engineer working on PLC logic for mining as well as petroleum projects. Louise has a BEngSc in Biomedical Engineering as well as a BSc (Eng) in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Katherine Jefferies is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She has a keen interest in Data Analytics, Machine Learning and Business Intelligence. Katherine has previously worked in the mining industry developing numerical models. She also briefly worked as a Mathematics Teacher. Katherine holds an MSc in Physics from the University of the Witwatersrand. She believes that learning never stops and endeavours to learn as much as she can, whenever she can

John is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. He previously worked in the aerospace sector, where he designed structures and control systems for a novel drone concept. John holds a BScEng in Mechanical Engineering, and an MSc in Computer Science, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. His final research report was in the Predictive Maintenance of Power Transformers, which involved using machine learning techniques for the purpose of forecasting. He is especially interested in bridging the gap between engineering and computer science through the design and implementation of intelligent systems in industry.

Jeremy has been the lead Business Intelligence and Data Analytics consultant for key local and international clients since he joined Opti-Num Solutions in 2014. He qualified as a Mechanical Engineer in 2011 and has taken part in numerous short courses in Data Science, Optimization and Software Engineering since then. He is currently completing his MSc. in IT with a focus in the field of Evolutionary Robotics at the University of Cape Town. He has a natural talent for leadership, programming, and taking complex ideas and translating them into practical solutions for the fast-paced business world. He has a deep love of coding and has experience in a wide range of areas from Full-Stack Software Development through to Machine Learning and Data Science; BI and Pricing through to Numerical Simulation, Fan Theory, and Optimisation. His time at Opti-Num Solutions has helped him develop his skills in many key focus areas where he has been influential in growing the consulting business and achieving great success for his clients while managing a team of focused and highly intelligent colleagues in high-pressure environments.

Tamsen is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She has two years of Firmware Engineering experience where she focused on RF electronics for the telematics industry. Tamsen also participated in an internship in Information Security before joining the team in July 2015. Tamsen thinks of herself as a generalist but is currently refining her data modelling skills through online courses. She currently holds a BScEng in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand where her electives included High Voltage and Software Engineering.

Richard is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions, specialising in algorithm and workflow development, with special interests in machine learning and mathematical modelling. Richard holds a BSc(Eng) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is currently pursuing an MSc in Computer Science in the field of robotic path planning in dynamic environments, which incorporates machine learning, mathematical modelling and problem solving. Richard aspires to use data analytics and sophisticated algorithms to solve real-world problems in creative and novel ways.

Mhlanguleli is a Junior Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Mhlanguleli completed his BSc (Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics) as well as his BSc (Hons) in Mathematics at Rhodes University. He has recently completed his structured MSc in Mathematical Science at Stellenbosch University. During his time at Rhodes his interest in Algebra and Graph Theory inspired his Honours project which focused on the Algebraic Graph Theory titled “Tadpoles with large spectral moment”. During his time at Stellenbosch University, Mhlanguleli made the transition to Finance and Data Science wherein he applied his mathematical and statistical skills to real world problems such as Risk Management in Finance.

Nadine is a Sales Specialist at Opti-Num Solutions. She previously worked at Standard Bank for 10 years. She joined Opti-Num Solutions in October 2006 wherein she assisted by contacting clients who responded to our campaigns and directing them onto Sales. Currently she places orders for the Software products and renewals, maintains the debtor’s book and does invoicing. She also does admin for Training that we provide. She is meticulous and has very strong admin skills and works well under pressure. She has completed an Excel course in 2015 and would like to improve on her Quickbooks skills.

Leigh has been a Bookkeeper at Opti-Num Solutions for 18 years wherein she is responsible for the Creditors and all foreign payments. Prior to joining the team she worked in the Foreign Exchange department at Standard Bank.

Khumo Bodibe is the Receptionist and Office Administrator for Opti-Num Solutions. Prior to working at Opti-Num, Khumo worked for Experian SA, Credit Ombud and AMBS as a receptionist and office administrator. Khumo holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management and Training and is hoping to complete her Bachelor of Theology in 2020.

Malavika is a Graduate Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. Her BSc(Hons) project successfully investigated the feasibility of classifying cancer cells from its infrared-region hyperspectral images using MATLAB to develop the software. She aims to develop skills in the areas of Data Science, Machine Learning/Deep Learning and AI to develop future projects.

Peter is a Graduate Engineer at Opti-Num solutions. Prior to joining Opti-Num, he obtained a BSc(Eng) and MSc(Eng) in Mechanical engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. Peter’s research field and dissertation explored techniques for simulating the effects of acceleration through air at supersonic velocities. The primary focus involved visualising flow field behaviours brought about by prescribing arbitrary motion and engineering complex flight maneuvers. In the future, he would love to explore using machine learning and digital twin technology for solving intricate real-world problems.

Kimendree is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She previously worked in the energy sector as an Electrical Engineer, involved in the electrical design and construction management of power plants. Kimendree holds a BSc(Eng) in Electrical Engineering from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is currently completing her MSc(IT) with a focus in Machine Learning at the University of Cape Town. During her downtime, you are most likely to find Kimendree engrossed in a good book or catching up on series.

Jon is a graduate engineer at Opti-Num Solutions, with a passion for process optimisation through mathematical modelling and simulation. He has an M.Sc. from the University of the Witwatersrand focused on presenting an introduction to general relativity using interactive symbolic computation. He is adaptive and challenge driven with a desire for deep problem understanding and successful solution production. In his spare time you might find him listening to music, audio books or podcasts, watching series or playing squash socially, but mostly you’ll find him spending quality time with loved ones.

Jannes is a Graduate Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. Jannes’s interest in technology, biology and problem solving led him to study a BEng Sc in Biomedical Engineering and a BSc Eng in Electrical Engineering degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. For his final year project Jannes developed a shear wave generation device for the use of rudimentary imaging of abnormalities within a human tissue mimicking phantom. Jannes further aspires to solve industry problems using his current and newly learnt knowledge through MATLAB and Simulink.

Shivesh Inderlal is a meticulous and innovative thinker, working as a Graduate Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. He is highly enthusiastic about Business, Education, and Finance, and has a boundless appetite for learning more about these sectors. He obtained a B.Eng. (Electronic Engineering), as a means to pursue his passion in creating innovative technological solutions, directed towards the betterment of our society. As part of his studies, he completed projects on (i) geolocating rhinos using LoRa, RSSI, Machine Learning, and a power optimization algorithm; (ii) a real-time vehicle detection system for cooperative law enforcement; and (iii) a powerline communication system, implementing OFDM, for communication within mines. His experience in telecommunications led him to working as a senior voice engineer at Optimum Routing Solutions, a wholesale voice carrier that delivers premium quality routes into Africa. However, he decided to join Opti-Num Solutions, to breathe life into his greatest passions. Shivesh strongly believes that enhancing the state of education in Africa is the key to creating a trajectory of growth on a global scale. Which is why he is committed to driving such a change though the proliferation of EdTech though South Africa. His open-minded, and enthusiastic approach to life can be seen in his diverse range of hobbies and interests, which include cyber security (he attended the GISEC 2019), cryptocurrency (he created and runs an Ethereum mining farm), reading (fiction, fantasy or business), esports (Dota 2), and martial arts (he has practiced Kung Fu since the age of 8, and has recently taken up Capoeira).

Nicole is a consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She has a qualification in Computer Engineering obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She has previously worked for two years as a software engineer at Denel Land Systems focusing on software development for artillery weapons. She is experienced with development in a variety of coding languages such as C++, Python, Bash and MATLAB to name a few. She is a team player that will provide inputs if she feels she can share her expertise on a subject. Her future plans involve continuously learning new things and gaining more insight on what she currently knows. Nicole is a big anime fan. She also really loves fantasy novels. She is currently learning to read, speak and write in Korean. She also really likes K-Pop and K-Dramas. Her dream is to go on holiday to South Korea.

Stacy is a Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. She previously worked as a Software Engineer, primarily involved in conducting research and performing proof of concepts, participating in software design and creating high quality and robust solutions. The areas of research and development included Azure Cloud solutions, APIs, GUIs as well as network layering and protocol decoding. Stacy holds a BSc(Eng) in Electrical and Information Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is also currently pursuing a MSc(Eng) in Telecommunications, with focus on Next Generation Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting schemes incorporating Layer Division Multiplexing, proposed for 5G. Her interests lie in leveraging the various technology frameworks in order to provide efficient bespoke solutions. In her spare time she is an avid puzzle-solver, lover of all true-crime podcasts/series and is attempting to get back in the gym.

Yuval Genga is currently a Graduate Engineer at Opti-Num Solutions. He holds an MSc and PhD degree in Telecommunications from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is excited by the different approaches used in problem solving and the software development process, which has contributed to his keen interest in data science and its various applications in the real world. When he is not working, Yuval can be found on the basketball courts shooting some hoops.

Michelle is the Marketing Specialist for Opti-Num Solutions and specialises in Marketing Communication and Strategy for the brand both internally and externally. Prior to Opti-Num Solutions, she worked as a Marketing Coordinator for an IT hardware distribution company managing brands such as HPE and Intel. Michelle has a Degree in Integrated Brand Communications and Digital Marketing. One day Michelle hopes to utilise her passion for brands as well as education in order to start her own Playschool.

Gaydrey is the sales and marketing manager at Opti-Num Solutions. She has been in the IT industry since 1984, starting as a Cobol programmer before moving into the sales and marketing area. She ran her own marketing consulting business for almost 10 years before moving back into the corporate world. Her passion is delivering value to customers . Away from work, Gaydrey has helped with awareness for the SA Guide Dogs and Kids Haven.

Matthew is a Named Account Manager at Opti-Num Solutions and is a specialist in sales and business development. He has studied a BA Business Management which he has recently convert to studying towards an MBA. One day he would like to own a wine farm in Franschhoek with a Coffee shop and angel investing in small South African businesses.

Belinda has been a Sales Maintenance Specialist at Opti-Num Solutions for 5 years. Prior to joining Opti-Num she worked for a company for 9 years that sold chemicals. She loves the administrative side of her job as she feels that it keeps her on her toes. In her spare time when she is not running around after kids, she likes to bake and read.

Adri is a biologist by training, having completed her Bsc.(Hon) in Ecology and Conservation at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is equally passionate about education and so continued her studies with the University of Witwatersrand to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Adri is a Business Development Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions wherein her primary focus is on the sales and business development of MATLAB and Simulink in Universities of Southern Africa.

Jabulani is a Junior Business Development Consultant at Opti-Num Solutions. Prior to joining Opti-Num, he worked for productONE for four years, starting off as an Internal IT Technician (Learnership) to the Technical Support Corner (Supporting external Customers) and finally Sales. Jabulani specialises in Sales and Business Development and holds a Diploma in Information Technology and National Certificate in System Support. Jabulani strives for continuous improvement and enjoys challenging himself to be better. His immediate goal is to be a senior Business Development Consultant within the next 2 years.