What started out as an alternative from possible abject poverty after exiting high school turned out to be a lifelong commitment to rebooting the automotive industry one charging station at a time. Miranda Myeki, born in the rural former Transkei in a small town just outside Mthatha known as Mqanduli, telling us a story about being plugged in, powered up and ready to transform one IT ticket at a time!
Born the 3rd child, of 6 children from a big family, navigating her marital life and currently powering ahead by contributing to realising the AIDC-EC’s mission of transforming the automotive landscape in Eastern Cape.
She pursued her career in Information Technology (IT) in the former University of Transkei now known as Walter Sisulu University. Her journey in IT began when she relocated to East London, an astronomical beginning which led to her love story - years later, a job of her dreams and a spouse of her dreams.
Burning with a passion for people; social work or a teaching career were some of the professions in her list of ideals she thought she would pursue until her aunt warned her in CAPS LOCK “you will never have money there my child!’’. Her mother however, redirected her interest by telling her that there is this new thing called IT – which quite few people had any knowledge about at the time, but once she started, she fell in love with it one terabyte at a time.
“What I discovered along the way at the very start of building my career in IT many years ago in East London was that I would still get to interact with people on a large scale and that fulfilled my innate desire to serve. So, the environment I started working in at my very first job did not limit me to just IT components and related concepts, but it brought me closer to something I love, people.”
“Before showing up to work daily I actually plan my day ahead from A-Z but this is a profession that has also humbled me in that you can never plan enough. Once you get to the office you find yourself putting aside your schedule of activities because the printer is malfunctioning, network connectivity is in shambles - thus, disrupting workflow. So, I must be the brainchild.”
Show me your technologist and I will tell you who you are! At the AIDC-EC, she works as an ICT Officer in the ICT, Governance, and Digital Services Unit. What this unit oversees among a deluge of responsibilities is cyber-security; an aspect of paramount importance that ensures the organisation’s digital assets are safe guarded, protection of sensitive information, and importantly, ensuring compliance within the organisation.
None of these seemingly big issues deter the socialite because she still gets to exercise her soft skills expeditiously that are most vital in her role which include communication and teamwork. Afterall, she still gets to hit two birds with one stone. If you did not know, Miri (as affectionately known to colleagues) is that bird that gets the earliest worm because she is always the first to arrive at the office! This demonstrates a knack for proficiency which is integral in maintaining the organisation’s IT infrastructure leading to seamless operations. Now you know why the AIDC-EC is at the forefront of innovation and is thriving in the digitisation of the automotive sector.
An alchemist of note who turns frustration into strength, she previously would squirm when she has solved technical issues only to realise in the end the issues still remained. She has since reached a turning point whereby she gets excited at issues persisting because that means her critical thinking skills are being challenged – and can only settle once resolved. Even problems whose root cause are unknown to her. Ctrl+Alt+Transform - an ICT effect.
In May this year, the AIDC-EC launched two electric vehicle charging stations in two regions consecutively: one in Mthatha and another in East London. These sterling launches signify a prime example of how ICT plays a vital role in driving transformation in the automotive landscape of the province. This team became instrumental in ensuring cyber-security measures are in place to protect sensitive data and prohibit potential threats against end-users, providing real-time monitoring and analytics to optimise charging station performance and efficiency. Lastly, prioritising delivering convenient and user-friendly charging services to EV owners.
‘’We are quite excited to continue to contribute to the AIDC-EC achieving many more milestones especially with more roll out initiatives of EV charging stations on the pipeline’’.
When she is not displaying expertise that enables innovation, efficiency, and connectivity in the auto sector, she is a passenger princess in her versatile bakkie which she reveres for its durability to navigate smoothly gravel roads occasionally.
The AIDC-EC is committed to celebrating women fuelling change in the auto industry.
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