I hold a BSc Honours degree in Microbiology and Biotechnology from WITS University, where my research project focused on the ability of the fungus Rhodotorula to degrade plastics. Although that was intriguing, I developed a stronger interest in working for SAB. When the opportunity arose to join the Wits brewing team in 2021, I jumped at it. We attended the Intervarsitybrew Competition that year, where I met some of the people I’ve come to know in the industry, and my love for beer and brewing became set in stone. However, I worked in an environmental lab for eight months and then in pharmaceutical sales for three years. In 2024, I decided to pursue my dream in brewing, so I attended the BeerEx Conference to learn about the many opportunities in the brewing industry, where I also ran into Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, whom I had initially met at Intervarsitybrew. I mentioned to her that I was looking to enter the industry, and we discussed what that would look like for me. She then took a chance on me and offered me an opportunity to join Brewsters Academy as a trainee brewer in August 2024, and the rest is history. I received a full scholarship for the CIBD Diploma in Brewing: Module 1, for which I wrote the exam in June this year. I am now also part of the first cohort of learners pursuing the Food and Beverage: Process Machine Operator qualification through Brewsters Academy, sponsored by FoodBev SETA and CUT, scheduled to graduate in 2026. I have also been working toward studying for and taking the Beer Judging Certification Programme (BJCP) exam to become a qualified beer judge. I have learned so much since joining Brewsters Academy. I know this is just the beginning
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