60 seconds with Nosipho Ntatleng

In this month’s installment of 60 seconds with, we’ll get to know Nosipho Ntlatleng out of our Johannesburg office.

The quick hitters:

Position: Resource Geologist
Joined Maptek: June 2017
Where am I from? Mpumalanga, South Africa

Behind the expertise

Hi Nosipho and thanks for talking to us. What is it you do for Maptek?

I provide training, technical support and consulting services to our clients. My main focus is on Maptek Vulcan, our geology and mine planning software. My particular area of expertise is geological block modelling (both stratigraphic and non-stratigraphic deposits), geostatistics and resource estimation. I’m also involved in the testing of new Vulcan features.

Can you tell us a little about your background in mining? 

I graduated from the University of Pretoria with an honours degree in Geology. My professional career began in exploration (carbonatite copper deposit) as a Junior Geologist employed by Rio Tinto. Thereafter, I moved to BHP Billiton in the coalfields as a grade control geologist. From BHP, I moved to Parson’s Brinckerhoff (PB) in a consulting role. I went on to complete my Masters degree in Mineral Resource Management from the University of the Free State soon after I left PB. I joined Maptek immediately after.

What is the highlight of your time with Maptek so far?

I don’t have one particular moment or event, but getting to work for one of the best mine planning technology companies; the experience and the expertise this opportunity has afforded me, has really been amazing. My skills have grown exponentially whilst working at Maptek and being a part of a team that is actively involved in shaping the future of mine planning technology is the best part of my work.

What do you like most about your job?

There is a lot I love about my job. I get to meet and interact with people from different countries & cultures, gaining more knowledge about diverse mining operations. I get to be challenged because no two trainees are the same and they all come with a range of different experiences.

One highlight was when I spent a birthday away from my family and the folks I was training threw me a mini celebration, with a cake and all. It was one of my favorite trips. I also get to interact with colleagues from around the world, who are always ready to assist and share their expertise. In this current digital age, it’s truly amazing to work for one of the most innovative technology companies in our industry.

Vulcan 12 is coming out soon. You use Vulcan frequently within your job, what is the best thing about the new release? And why?

One of my favorite features in Vulcan 12 is the ability to load sample data for visualisation by dragging and dropping the variable directly from Vulcan Explorer onto Envisage without having to open the samples database first. This is great as it speeds up my workflow.

I am also looking forward to the improvements on the coal washability module, which will increase efficiency of the modelling process as well as provide superior decision making capabilities for mine planners.

Training is a big part of your job, do you have a tip or trick you can share?

I’m really big on shortcuts so I’ll share a simple tip; you can drag and drop a block model variable from the Vulcan Explorer window to display it on the screen and you can change the display properties by ‘right clicking’ on the block model extents and select properties.  For more similar tips visit the videos section of Maptek’s section.

If you could do another job for Maptek, what would it be?

Two areas come to mind; one being product development and the other being training content development. These areas would feed my interest in new technology (with the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution) as well as use my experience both in mining and in training to make a difference and solve challenges.