Inspirational South African engineering achievements
October 2011
News
In May 2007, Johannesburg teenager Siyabulela Xuza won two top awards at the 58th Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his development of a safe and cheaper form of rocket fuel.
Always passionate about rockets, Xuza achieved while still at school what many of his peers dream of, he broke South Africa's amateur high-powered altitude record by launching a rocket 800 metres into the air at a site in Sasolburg.
Former Anglo American chairman Clem Sunter said: “If a teenager in any other country in the world had accomplished all of this, he would be a household name by now. Nasa named what they call a 'minor planet' after him for goodness' sake.” Read the latest news about Siyabulela at http://tinyurl.com/3e4pm45
Further reading:
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News
SKF South Africa has achieved SaiMechE CPD accreditation, a decisive step that empowers the next generation of engineers.
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Elevating artisanal skills is key to revitalising South Africa’s economy
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We need to challenge the stigma attached to artisanal and technical careers, and we also need a mindset shift supported by the schooling system so that young people understand future career pathways, choose subjects accordingly, and recognise that artisanal and technical skills carry equal value in a modern economy.
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40 years of PC-based control
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When Beckhoff elevated the industrial computer to the status of a central control system four decades ago, a paradigm shift occurred.
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