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Butie
The experience and skills of a highly capable driver could make or break the success of the Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge. Responsibility for this critical task, on a journey across some of Africa’s toughest terrain, lies with Butie Mlangeni.
Following completion of his studies in 1995, Butie obtained his Code 14 licence to drive heavy motor vehicles and has substantiated that by completing a Hazchem training course.
Butie’s proven skill behind the wheel has earned him a place on the expedition, where he will be responsible for the safe transportation of 1,700 litres of GTL diesel that will be required for refueling the one vehicle that is to do the entire route solely on GTL diesel.
Butie is 29 years-old and originates from Vaalpark in the Vaal Triangle, South Africa. His hobbies include reading, travelling and athletics. |
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Garry
Security advisor Garry Timmins will play a crucial role in the expedition, ensuring the safety of the other participants over the course of the 46 day journey.
As a former member of the British armed forces, he has experience in a variety of arduous environments, ranging from the sub-arctic to jungles and deserts.
Following ten years as an infantry soldier in the UK and Northern Ireland, Garry served as Regimental Sergeant-Major. He has been responsible for the training of soldiers of all ranks in the transport of hazardous materials, chemical, biological and radiological warfare, as well as first aid, management and command skills and tactical awareness.
Garry has spent time as an operating department practitioner, working as part of a multidisciplinary team and specialising in trauma life support, anaesthesia and paramedic skills.
In addition to his close protection and paramedic expertise, Garry will also offer to the expedition a range of skills in issues such as fleet management and logistics . |
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Geoff
Geoff Brown began his career in photography as an assistant photographer at Noel Wesson Ltd in Harare, before taking on the role of medical photographer at the University of Zimbabwe’s audio-visual teaching unit.
After a three-year stint at a Johannesburg based studio, Geoff travelled to the U.K. where he spent time with John Rose Associates in London and then worked as a senior photographer with Harvest Studios in Northampton.
Geoff returned to South Africa in June 1988 and started Planet KB Photography in partnership with Graham Kietzmann in Sandton, Johannesburg – a business venture that continues to this day.
After matriculating from Mount Pleasant High School, Geoff studied for a further three years, obtaining a City and Guilds of London Certificate in General Photography, with two distinctions. In May 1985, he was awarded Licentiateship of the South African Institute of Photographers and followed this by attaining Licentiateship of the British Institute of Professional Photography in March 1988.
Commenting on the trip, Geoff said, “I’m really excited to go on this trip as, good or bad, it’s going to be unique and I feel that it’s important to experience as many different things as possible in the very short time we have in this life. It can’t help but expand my life and in some way change my viewpoint.”
Geoff has a deep love for photography and an even deeper passion for skydiving. He has been involved in various aspects of formation skydiving and grabs very opportunity he has to experience the thrill of this sport.
Geoff, aged 41, is a married father of two. He is a naturalised South African citizen, born in Gweru in Zimbabwe. |
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Hugo
Edward Hugo Conradie has had a life-long interest in all things technical and electrical, and is skilled in general electricity, refrigeration and cooling techniques, steel construction, conveyor belt technology and numerous forms of welding.
Hugo began his career in the agricultural industry and spent just over a decade as a machinery and cooling technician in the milk bottling sector. After accepting a position as line manager at the Breëriviervallei Bottling Co-op in South Africa, he assumed overall responsibility for the management, production and maintenance of a modern bottling line and extended his expertise into the areas of wine filtration and stabilisation.
In 1998, Hugo looked further afield for a new challenge and took the position of Production Manager at RJ Industrial in Angola. Here he also became involved in setting up tourism camps with Angola Adventure Safaris, thereby gaining knowledge and hands-on experience of the African tourism environment.
Hugo, now aged 47, was schooled at the Agricultural High School in Riversdal in the Western Cape, and now lives in Worcester, South Africa. As a result of his work in Angola, Hugo is a fluent Portuguese-speaker. |
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Ian
Ian Myburgh ’s travelling and technology experience make him the ideal choice as expedition leader.
Ian is Project Coordinator of gas-to-liquid (GTL) projects in Sasol’s Technology Fuels Research division. Ian has effectively worked at the leading edge of engine and fuel technology and, most recently, he has been intimately involved in the evaluation of the performance boundaries of GTL diesel.
Since joining Sasol in 1991 as Manager of Sasol Oil Research and Development, Ian has managed numerous projects involving the optimisation of blend formulation of gasoline, diesel and lubrication oils, additive development and evaluation, the development of special test techniques, and the development of racing fuels and lubricants.
Ian obtained a B Eng degree from the University of Pretoria and joined the Aeronautics Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), specialising in aero engines. There he played a leading role in the development of a rotary combustion engine for aircraft application.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Ian has travelled extensively across Eastern, Southern and Central Africa, both by vehicle and on foot, including hiking through the Ruaha Reserve and across the Usangu flats.
Ian is 63 and his hobbies include science, history, the outdoors and 4x4.
Ian is thrilled to be involved with carrying the message of state-of-the-art synthetic fuel technology. |
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Joe
On something like the Sasol Chevron GTL Challenge, local knowledge can often make the difference between success and failure. For the Ethiopian and Sudanese legs, Joe Hana has joined the Challenge to provide this input.
Joe was born in Omdurman in Sudan. At the age of five he moved with his mother, who worked for the UN World Food Programme, to Ethiopia for three years, before returning to Sudan to finish high school.
After obtaining his Aeronautical Engineering License in England, he returned to Sudan for another six years. His work took him all over Africa – Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Chad, Yemen, Somalia and Libya – and to Saudi Arabia.
An analyst by profession, Joe was brought on board the GTL Challenge when it was no more than an idea. “I was asked to do a risk assessment of the route. I thought Sudan would be fine, but I also knew things could change,” he said. “I formulated alternative routes, such as going through Ethiopia to Port Sudan or through Djibouti to the Red Sea.”
The original plan was for Joe to join the convoy in Juba for the drive to Port Sudan. When the route changed, he was asked to join us in Nairobi to discuss and plan the new route through Ethiopia to Sudan. Before he knew it, he had become another team member and was coming along for the ride.
“My first thought was, ‘Here we go again!’ he laughed. “It’s typical of Africa! It can throw spanners, screwdrivers and anything from the toolbox at you. Africa has its own pace and way of doing things. Nothing rushes anyone - even the sun can come up late. Then again, things can change in an instant. Always expect the unexpected. You have to be here to experience and understand that.”
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Karien
Karien van der Merwe is one of the most award-winning producers in the history of television documentary and news production in South Africa.
For twelve years Karien was a news reporter and current affairs documentary producer for the SABC, before accepting the challenge to work independently in 1998. Since making this decision, Karien has expanded her activities even further, and has written, directed and presented a number of exceptional documentary programmes.
Highlights of Karien’s independent career have been some incisive documentaries, including a two-part series for the SABC, “Suffer the Children”, which explored the consequences of child abuse. This was followed by three investigative documentaries for Special Assignment.
Karien is currently associated with PhoenixProductions, a Johannesburg-based television production company which she runs with her husband Daniel Nortje, a veteran print and television producer. The company focuses on documentary, news and travel productions worldwide. Most recently this has taken Karien into Iraq with the coalition forces, where she covered the country’s plight in two MNet documentaries.
Karien graduated from Potchefstroom University with a BA H.E.D. in Drama and English.
Karien loves exploration travelling, reading and going to the gym. As an investigative journalist, Karien is looking forward to the trip as it will take into her the unknown. |
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Malcolm
The unluckiest member of the team, the Expedition Director gets all the work and none of the fun.
At the age of 18, Malcolm Wells went overland from London to Indonesia and spent his nineteenth birthday in Kathmandu. Since then he has travelled in over fifty countries, encountering everything from civil war and amoebic dysentery to exploding flowerpots.
The creator of the GTL Challenge, he says:
“The Challenge came about because someone asked me what we were going to do to celebrate the opening of the ORYX GTL plant. There had been plenty of GTL diesel fleet tests in urban environments but nothing terribly ambitious, nothing that would say to our customers; ‘Trust GTL diesel, we have and in some of the toughest road conditions on the planet.’ It seemed an obvious thing to do to take a vehicle from Sasolburg where the modern synthetic fuels industry was born, to Qatar, where it will take the next step in its evolution.”
The go-ahead to attempt the Challenge was given on March 5th and the expedition left Sasolburg on the 19th April. Malcolm says:
“The Sasol Chevron environment is an unusual one in that we have access to some very unusual skillsets. All the planning was done in-house based on the experience of a few individuals from Sasol, Chevron and Sasol Chevron. Not only did we have to handle the issues involved in physically moving five vehicles and a team of twelve people but we also had to deal with additional challenges such as moving large quantities of fuel the length of Africa. Unlike some other trans-Africa trips, we also have to operate to the very demanding safety standards of our parent companies.”
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Nico
With more than 20 years experience as a driver of 4x4 vehicles, Nicolaas Els is eminently qualified to take part in the expedition.
Nico serves on the committee of the Four Wheel Drive Club of South Africa and operates as the official driver trainer for the KwaZulu Natal chapter of the club. He has completed an advanced 4x4 driving course at the Continental Off-road Academy as well as two deep-sand driving courses and an expedition driving course at the Goodyear 4x4 Academy. Nico also has a professional driving permit for transporting passengers and dangerous goods.
Nico has driven Ford F250 and Bedford 4x4s, Land Rovers and armoured 4x4s in the military and has completed courses in the driving and maintenance of light, heavy, armoured and 4x4 vehicles at the SA Police Service Mechanical Training Centre in Benoni.
Amongst the numerous competitions Nico has competed in are the 4x4 Eco Challenge (2004 and 2005) and the Limpopo Challenge, as well as attaining third place in a National 4x4 Challenge and two seconds in similar club challenges.
Nico has won the Sasol Logistics Competition Trophy and the Spirit of Adventure Trophy and also brings the skills of a qualified motor mechanic and medical orderly to the expedition. |
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Nigel
Nigel Bateson has had an eventful career as a cameraman, beginning with jobs at the SABC and then Trilion Video, before moving into the field of news and current affairs as a freelance lighting cameraman for Visnews, BBC and WTN.
Nigel has worked at Sky News, covering such stories as the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Romanian Revolution and documenting the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union, and spent several years with BBC Television as cameraman, editor and producer.
In the last few years, Nigel has worked on projects in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Mozambique, the North Atlantic (including a Mir1 deep exploration submarine dive to the Titanic) and both the Arctic and Antarctica.
Nigel has won awards for human rights reporting in Sierra Leone and a Global Scoop Environmental Stories Award for his work in Antarctica. He was also awarded the MBE in the Gulf War Honours list in 1991.
Commenting on the trip, “This journey has been on my 'to-do' list since I read my first World Atlas as a child. Every day on a journey such as this takes us into new worlds and introduces us to new cultures and people. Not to mention the physical challenges we are bound to face along the road!”
After matriculating from Durban High School in 1974, Nigel travelled extensively in the southern African region before completing his compulsory two years of national service in the South African Defence Force.
Along with his wife, he returned in to South Africa in 2004 for what was intended to be an extended maternity leave, but he says that the positive attitude they found here was so inspiring that they decided to stay. |
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Ramona
As project accountant, Ramona Naidoo brings a wealth of experience to the expedition in the place where it matters most – the monetary side.
With a BComm Honours in Accounting and Managerial Accounting from the University of Natal, Durban (UND), Ramona currently works as the Sasol Synfuels International management accountant. Here her position entails p roviding monthly cost reports to management at all levels; monthly Actual / Budget / Forecast; and the co-ordination, preparation, implementation and submission of Group budget.
Ramona has experience in many different computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, Visual Basic, Hyperion Enterprise v5.1, Hyperion Retrieve v5.1, Business Objects (Midas-Data warehouse) and more than six years experience with SAP R/3 –FI and CO Modules.
Ramona has also attended numerous courses in line with her profession, notably Professional Skills I, Budgeting & Costing Workshop, Internal Auditing Workshop, Financial Accounting Workshop, Financial Management Workshop I & II, Excel Essentials, SAP Procurement to Payment and SAP Byproduct sales-Sundry.
Ramona has displayed leadership qualities throughout her career and her experience as a Rotary Exchange Student in Brazil will no doubt stand her in good stead over the 46 days of the expedition, during which she will also serve as the team’s co-driver.
Ramona is 31 years-old and her hobbies include skydiving, kick boxing and reading. She is looking forward to the unique opportunity of being involved at an ambassadorial level in an event which is of paramount importance to all of the companies involved. |
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Richard
Richard Radebe has been a driving enthusiast for many years.
A graduate of Ndabuchi Technical School, where he studied arc welding and received a Grade 10 qualification, Richard moved on to gain a tertiary diploma in office administration.
Richard soon progressed into a field where he could indulge his passion for driving, taking a position in 1998 at Gauteng Quality Drivers, based at Avis Southern Africa. Seeking more permanent employment, Richard moved to Golden Products until 2001 before taking up his present post at Sasol in 2002.
Like many South Africans, Richard speaks a number of languages, including his native Zulu. He lives in Katlehong, South Africa, and indulges in a number of hobbies, including car racing. When not behind the wheel Richard relaxes with a book, watches soccer and basketball, or takes a drive out to where he can appreciate nature. |
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Tarsicio
As the team doctor with responsibility for the overall health of each of the team members, Tarsicio Polo fulfils a very important function on the Sasol Chevron GTL Sasolburg to Doha journey.
A Spaniard by birth, Tarsicio obtained his medical degree from the University of Granada. While he subsequently specialised in Ear Nose and Throat ailments, Tarsicio’s experience and training in Emergency Medicine at Cádiz University, and in Tropical Medicine at Barcelona University will stand him – and the team – in very good stead as they traverse the African continent.
Tarsicio is a man to whom traveling comes naturally. On completion of his initial studies, Tarsicio spent internships in Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico City and also held the position of medical officer on several cruise liners.
Having practiced as a general practitioner prior to specializing, Tarsicio has also held ENT Specialist residences at several hospitals in Spain and Portugal, most recently occupying this position at Sierra de Segura Hospital in Jaén.
Tarsicio, aged 36, is multilingual, able to converse in English, Portuguese, Spanish, German and French. His hobbies include reading, cooking and sport. |
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Willie
William Majafe is a photographer at Sasol Audiovisuals.
Photography has always been William’s lifelong passion. In pursuit of a career in the field, he began attending photography workshops in 1975. This led to a successful freelance photography career, including work for a variety of newspapers, including The Sowetan, The Star, The World and the Rand Daily Mail. William has also showcased his work in Pace and PMR magazines.
In 1982, William joined the SABC as a photographer, a position he held until 1991. At this point he elected to pursue a full-time corporate career, and joined Sasol’s Audiovisual division as a photographer. Along the way, William attained a licentiateship from the South African Institute of Photography in 1987.
William was born in the historic Johannesburg suburb of Sophiatown, which is famous for its rich community history and its contributions to South African journalism and music cultures.
William is 56. He has a wife and two children, with whom he resides in Diepkloof, Soweto, South Africa.
William is an avid traveler and is looking forward to seeing Eastern Africa. |
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