The people make Umvoto!
We have gathered together a unique spectrum of professional skills and experience,
disparate interests and cultural heritages.
Rowena Hay (Managing Director) Rowena hails from the Eastern Cape and received her MSc in Marine Geology from UCT in 1984. After working in the mining and nuclear waste disposal industries, where she developed an interest in hydrogeological modelling, she founded Umvoto Africa in 1992. The name derives from the respectful name some Xhosa brides us for water. Initially she specialised in hydrogeological exploration and contamination modelling, but this work led to a wider involvement in water integrated water resource management and she has become involved projects that direct water managment policy at a provincial and national level. She has also gained extensive experience in the related field of Disaster Risk Reduction and has carrried out work in this field for clients such as the United Nations, World Bank and Commonwealth Secretariat. She has a particular interest inthe gender aspects of this work, and is becoming increasingly involved in the social aspects of water resource use and planning.
Rowena has led Umvoto to become an internationally recognised consultancy with a reputation for technical excellence and innovation. One of her main contributions has been her rigorous scientific approach, similar to that used in the oil industry, to quantify groundwater resources and ensure sustainable use and accurate planning. She has brought innovative techniques to drilling deep boreholes and has pioneered the use of geoinformatics technology in the exploration and sustainable use of groundwater. She has also introduced the concept of risk management into managing groundwater resources. While achieving pioneering scientific and technical breakthroughs, Rowena initiated the Umvoto Internship Programme in 2002, which has contributed to building up much-needed scientific and technical skills, especially among women scientists. Her scientific, leadership and entrepreneurial skills have been recognised by several personal and company awards. She was the 2009 Cape entrepreneur winner in the ninth annual Businesswomen’s Association Regional Business Achievers award and the runner-up in the 2008 Achiever Award for a Woman Scientist in Industry. Umvoto was recently a finalist in the innovation category of the Africa SMME awards, which honour small businesses from across Africa.
Chris Hartnady (Technical Director) is from Cape Town and received his PhD in geology in 1978 from University of Cape Town, where he also lectured for many years and rose to the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. His area of expertise is structural geology and tectonics with emphasis on southern and central Africa. He is internationally recognised in these fields, has authored and co-authored 40 papers in peer-reviewed journals/books of high standing, and made over 80 contributions to international conference proceedings and other publications.
He left UCT to join Umvoto in 2000, and has concentrated over the past 10 years on fluid flow in fractured-rock aquifers, specifically the Table Mountain Group and the geothermal springs of the Cape Fold Belt. He is also experienced in geospatial data analysis and remote sensing applications, including the use of space-geodetic methods. Since 2002 he has applied this knowledge to natural hazard/risk assessment and disaster risk reduction studies, with particular reference to geohazards (earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides) associated with the development of the Great African Rift System and the evolution of the Nubia-Somalia plate boundary across continental Africa and the South-west Indian Ocean. Chris's ability to conceptualise innovative applications for new and existing technologies has led to several advances in the fields of drilling, hydrogeological monitoring and use of geoinformatics technology for hydrogeological modelling.
Chris holds the postion of Technical Director at Umvoto, and his vast scientific experience and love of teaching has played a critical role in the success of the Umvoto Internship Programme
Andiswa Mlisa (Director Geoinformatics) Andiswa is also from the Eastern Cape and received her BSc (Hons) degree with distinction from the University of Fort Hare in 2002, specialising in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing. She completed her MSc at the University of Stellenbosch in 2007 and is currently registered with the same institution for a PhD. Her thesis topic is “Spatial Decision Support System for hydrogeological studies in the Table Mountain Group Aquifers, Western Cape Province, South Africa”.
Andiswa joined Umvoto in 2002 as a GIS operator, and has risen to become a director and shareholder of the company. She has charge of Geoinformatics at Umvoto, and together with Chris Hartnady has pioneered innovative uses of GIS techniques for hydrogeological modelling and monitoring. The Geoinformatics department also undertakes work in related fields of mineral exploration, environmental monitoring and resource planning. She is chairperson of the South African branch of the Group on Earth Observation Capacity Building committee and her duties for this body have taken her to meetings around the world.
Andiswa has lectured in various aspects of Geoinformatics at the Universities of Cape Town, Western Cape and Fort Hare, and has mentored many interns in the Geoinformatics department. She has charge of the information technogology systems at Umvoto, and drives the programme and project management systems.
Kornelius Riemann (Senior Hydrogeologist) Kornelius was born in Hanover, Germany, and obtained his MSc in Hydrogeology from the University of Kiel in 1988. He worked in the fields of pollution assessment and remediation planning, groundwater modelling, risk assessment and quality assurance systems, and safety and health protection on contaminated sites until 2000. He then came to South Africa and studied for his PhD at the Institute for Groundwater Studies, University of the Free State. His research topic was new approaches and methods for estimating aquifer parameters in fractured-rock aquifers, which was based on fractal analysis of pump test and tracer test data. He was awarded his PhD in 2002 and subsequently joined Umvoto, where his expertise in numerical groundwater modelling has been put to good use.
His focus at Umvoto is on integrated water resource development and management, which includes surface and subsurface water resources and the evaluation of sustainable use with respect to environmental conditions. He is involved in the development and implementation of strategies for adaptive groundwater management, comprising improved resource evaluation, sophisticated monitoring and regular modelling to ensure sustainable resource management. He is currently project manager for a study into the long-term reconciliation of water resources and usage in the Eastern and Western Cape.
Kornelius has lectured post-graduate students at the University of Stellenbosch in various aspects of hydrogeology and has charge of the Umvoto Quality Management system.
Helen Seyler (Hydrogeologist) Helen is from Worcestershire in the UK, and boasts two MSc degrees - the first in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford which she received in 2003 and the second, in Hydrogeology, (awarded with distinction), from the University of Birmingham. Following her initial degree she worked as an environmental consultant focusing on contaminated land assessments and waste management and gaining experience in intrusive shallow ground investigations. This led her to study for her second degree, which specialised in water resource assessment and numerical modelling. Her thesis addressed sustainable groundwater use for small-scale irrigation in semi-arid northeast Brazil, involving extensive fieldwork e.g. pump testing, groundwater sampling and flow and transport modelling of the unsaturated zone.
Helen’s current work is focused on water resource characterisation, involving all aspects from project management, field work and community consultation, to hydrogeological data analysis and numerical modelling, mostly utilising finite element packages. Helen has played a key role in developing the Umvoto Internship programme, and has presented papers at several conferences. She won the prestigious Young Professional Scientist Award at the recent SANCIAHS conference in Pietermaritzburg. She has recently become involved in the geological aspects of carbon capture and storage technology. Her out-of-office interests include travel, hiking and surfing
Dylan Blake (Geologist) Dylan grew up in Amanzimtoti near Durban and studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal where he received many distinctions and scholarships during the course of his studies. He completed his BSc (Hons) in Geology in 2006 (graduating cum laude), with his honours thesis titled “Beach dynamics along the Durban Bight coastline, KZN.” He majored in both geology and environmental science during his undergraduate studies, which nurtured his interest in applied environmental geology, especially with respect to sedimentary dynamics of the coastal zone and its impact on coastal development and livelihoods. He has recently registered for his MSc at the University of Stellenbosch.
He is now expanding his geological and environmental knowledge as he takes on new challenges in the form of a wide variety of hydrogeological and disaster risk reduction projects. Since joining Umvoto he has become proficient in hydrogeological field monitoring and basic hydrogeological modelling, and has gained significant experience in TMG stratigraphic analysis, structural modelling and fractured rock reservoir estimates. He has recently developed an interest in the effects of climate change on coastal areas. As might be expected from his origins, he is a surfer and he also follows the local music scene with great interest.
Emilie Galley (Hydrogeologist) UK-born Emilie is another Umvoto staff member with two MSc degrees. She received her MA (Hons) in Natural Sciences (geology) from the University of Cambridge in 2000, and went on to obtain an MSc in Oceanography from the University of Southampton the next year. She then worked as a research assistant, and travelled widely before embarking on another MSc, this time in Hydrogeology from the University of Birmingham. Before joining Umvoto as a hydrogeologist in 2008, she worked for two UK consultancies - Entec UK Ltd and Hafren Water Ltd, where she undertook a wide variety of work, covering fields such as groundwater contamination from landfills and sewage treatment works, and modelling of large regional aquifers. At Umvoto she has been involved in field work and monitoring, as well as hydrogeological analysis for the Stanford and Hermanus groundwater projects. She has also become involved in disaster risk assessment and reduction and undertook studies for a disaster risk assessment for the City of Cape Town.
Her experience covers a range of water resources sectors, including municipal water supply, legislative bodies, water companies, quarries and NGOs. Her particular areas of interest include water resource development, pollution and remediation and disaster risk reduction, and she is experienced in a range of hydrogeological modelling software. Her hydrogeology MSc dissertation involved modelling of catchment surface water and groundwater flow using VBA. Emilie enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming and cycling, and now that she lives so close to the ocean, she has also started surfing.
Sheila Imrie (Senior Hydrogeologist) hails from Durban and received her BSc (Applied Maths and Computer Science) (summa cum laude) and BSc (Hons) (Computer Science) from the University of Natal. Sheila's expertise lies in project management , information systems and hydrogeology, with a particular emphasis on hydrogeological modelling.
After graduating she worked for three years for Unilever South Africa as an IT Systems Developer and Business Analyst and then moved to the UK with Unilever where she worked as Project Manager in a variety of IT fields, including software development, process implementation and European-wide IT infrastructure implementations. She studied geology through the Open University between 2002 and 2005, and returned to full time study at the University of Birmingham between 2005 and 2006, where she received her MSc in hydrogeology with distinction. She worked for UK water consultancy Entec until the end of 2009 where her final position was Senior Consultant Hydrogeologist. At Umvoto, she will focus on groundwater resources management , groundwater modelling , climate change and disaster risk management.
Sheila's hobbies range from advanced scuba diving to music, she played the flute and oboe in the North Cheshire Wind Orchestra and the bagpipes in the Warrington Pipe Band, She and her husband John have now joined the Cape Town Highlanders Pipe Band.
Nisbert Chimboza (GIS Practitioner) Nisbert hails from Zimbabwe and graduated from Fort Hare University in 2007 with an Honours degree in Applied Remote Sensing and GIS. His honours project was titled "Change Vector Analysis using Sumbandila Satellite Imagery for identifying areas of potential groundwater flactuation and surface-groundwater interactions in Macubeni". His Bachelors degree included Computer Science. While at Fort Hare he was part of a team that won the Department of Science and Technology’s National Innovation Competition, with a project that proposed the development of a thermo-powered human tracking device, which would use heat emitted from the body to ensure 24/7 monitoring services. He joined Umvoto in 2008 and has been involved in compiling databases, spatial data verification and editing, database management and writing SML scripts for programming purpose in the GIS.
Alex Kuhudzai (GIS Technician) - Umvoto is going from strength to stength and this GIS practitioner is one of the latest recruits, joining the company in 2008. Zimbabwean-born Alex is a Fort Hare B.Sc (Honours) graduate whose main subjects where Computer Science and Applied Remote Sensing and GIS. His honours project was tittled "Using the Sumbandila Satellite to calculate the Leaf Area Index of the Macubeni Grasslands in order to assess the effects of erosion." While at Fort Hare,Alex was part of a team that designed a GPS personal tracking bracelet powered by solar energy and body heat.The potential target market included the Department of Correctional Services,game reserves and parents and children.This project was voted the best project out of the 15 at the National Innovation Competition held at the University of Fort Hare by the Department of Science and Technology.
In addition to his GIS duties at Umvoto,Alex assists with maintenance and development of IT systems, databases and the Umvoto website. Alex,who is enterprising and enjoys tackling problems and discovering solutions, is a member of Geo-Informatics Society of South Africa(GISSA).In his spare time he enjoys listening to music,watching movies and editing videos,while soccer and athletics are his favourite sports.
Trevor Nqumashe (Field Hydrogeologist) - started work at Umvoto as a student intern in December 2007, and continued on a part-time basis throughout 2008 while he was completing his National Diploma in Land Surveying at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. During this period he undertook GIS data capture for both external and internal projects, and also asissted with setting up monitoring equipment and routine hydrogeological monitoring. He was appointed to the permanent staff in January 2009 as a Trainee Field Hydrogeologist, and is currently focussing on gaining expertise in groundwater monitoring and fieldwork. He is a key member of the younger part of the Umvoto team.
Trevor hails from Kimberley and was a member of the Nothern Province boxing team while he was at school. His sporting passion is now soccer, and he is a keen Chiefs supporter.
Masibulele Fubesi (GIS Practitioner) comes from Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, adding more wieght to the Umvoto contingent from that part of South Africa. He received his Diploma in Environmental Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2009. He has always had an interest in Geographic Information Systems and worked as a GIS intern at Umvoto during his final year's studies. In the course of his environmental studies he worked as an intern at the Wolfgat Nature Reserve, where he enjoyed helping with educational programs and hiking trips for primary school children and other visitors to the reserve. He will be providing GIS support for Umvoto's wide-ranging projects, including hydrogeology, disaster risk reduction, environmental and hydrogeological monitoring, as well as new fields such as social studies in relation to water and gender.
Masibulele's interests include soccer, listening to music (hip hop and poetry) and reading.
Michael Baleta (Junior Geologist) has joined Umvoto after graduating from the Universirt of Stellenbosch, where he completed his BSc (Hons) in Geology. His particular interest is structural geology, which covers the kinetics and dynamics of folding rocks , linking in with Umvoto's work on fractured rock aquifers.
Beyond the office, Michael lives in Kommetjie, which allows him to indulge in his avid love of the ocean. He is quite an action man with his interests including surfing, spear fishing and kite boarding.
Iona Zietsman (Financial Manager) - has 20 years experience as a general and financial manager. She has been involved in all aspects and stages of running a professional practice, from initial start-up to a well-established medium-sized company. Her areas of expertise include company administration, management and development of company financial systems, property and asset management, human resources, business and professional risk management, marketing and strategic planning.
Iona studied zoology and biochemistry at the University of Cape Town, but subsequently moved on to computer programming and then to company management. She joined Umvoto in September 2005, and in addition to her financial and management responsibilities, takes on the role of managing the company's marketing initiatives.
Val Eriksen (Bookkeeper) - joined the company in February 2007 as the bookkeeper, having previously worked in banking, health services, the security industry and commerce. In addition to her wealth of experience in financial administration and general business,Val is a keen swimming instructor and motorbike enthusiast.
Peter Rogers (Programe Co-ordinator) -opted for early retirement from the South African Navy in 1991 having concluded a 33 year career in the South African Navy as Chief of the Project Management Office and Project Manager for the Corvette Acquisition Project.
He established himself as a programme consultant where he worked on a wide variety of assignments for both national and international clients. This includes programme planning, undertaking feasibility studies, facilitation ventures and representing clients' interests in the South African context.
Bukiwe Mboniswa (Office Administrator) - joined Umvoto in May 2008 and took over the running of the front office. She brings to the company her skills, honed in the retail trade, of handling client queries and multi-tasking in a people-driven situation. After twelve years in the retail trade she decided to seek a more intellectually challenging work situation and is adapting to her new role with enthusiasm.
Frank Mosebe (Office Driver & Maintenance Hand) - fills a long felt need in Umvoto for a roving “jack of all trades” capable of meeting the company’s diverse logistics needs. His sense of humour and quick grasp of the essentials has relieved the company of having to find someone to undertake the never-ending building and vehicle maintenance tasks as well as the collection and delivery trips essential to the smooth running of the company.
Eunice Ndumbana (Administrative Assistant) - has been with the company since 2003 as the housekeeper and administrative assistant Eunice brings to the company a wealth of rural cultural knowledge and traditions which contribute to the experience of the company's foreign interns during their time in South Africa.
