Prince Ntshalintshali

1. Tell us about yourself

My name is prince Ntshalintshali. I am from a small village called masibekela in Mpumalanga, it is 5km away from Mananga border gate. I grew up there and stayed there until I finished my metric. At school I was a self-motivated person and the reason for that is because I did not have any other option, the only way out for me to change my life was through school that is why I took it serious. After completing my metric I enrolled for undergraduate program in mathematical and computer science at UL (university of Limpopo).

Where I come from people who make it in life are highly respected, well the common professions were (teaching and nursing) the smartest ones will do civil/electrical engineering. In my heart I always wanted to do something different but fascinating but then I didn’t really knew what exactly at that time yet astronomy did cross my mind. The interesting part I didn’t choose programing but programing chose me and I realized that lately. When I went to UL I didn’t know anything about computers and I never used one before worse part it was the first time hearing the word “COMPUTER SCIENCE”. And  if was the only program that had a space, funny enough it was the most fascinating thing to do. That is how I was introduced to programing.

2. How did you feel when you got chosen for the programme?

When i was finally done with my degree I did not know what to do next and where to start applying, everything became so difficult. I was so desperate in a way that I started joining software development groups on Facebook, lucky enough one person finally responded to my post and that was Tukiso Mateka one of the best developer I met in my life. He offered to help me for free it was too good to be true. He started training us and that was how I was chosen for this program and I was so happy that I finally have something to do with my life and I was looking forward to be able to things that other people think it for the smartest people.

3. What was your expectation of the programme?

My expectation was to be able to develop end-to-end websites that are fully functional and responsive. Also to get to a point where I am confident about my programming skill in a way that I can do anything I want without having to ask for help from some someone else. Most importantly to up skill and understand the software engineering industry how it works and to survive in it.

4. Did the programme meet your expectations?

Yes the program went above and beyond my expectation the people who were training us, Tukiso Mateka and Alphe Shikwambane they    really did a good job they were with us every step of the way, they supported us not with only the training but also spiritually and mentally above all they cared about our well-being. Although the program had a limited time where we had to learn a lot in short space of time but it really served the purpose, it takes you from beginner to advance.  The nice thing is that we solved real life problems.

5. What are some important things you learned from the programme?

The most important things I learned is how to think like a programmer or a problem solver and also the power of planning and organizing your work. Another thing I learned is the concept of reverse engineering or you can call it the first principle of thinking, which decodes every complex concepts to into smaller parts which plays an important role in programming than just writing lines of code. Apart from programming I learned how to work with people and to behave in the work environment. The most important thing is that three months of hard work, dedication and focus can put you in a 3year success.

6. How were the teachers?

The teachers were absolutely the best you will ever get, they know what they are doing even though you may not understand sometimes but trusting them is one wise decision to make because they are good at what they are doing. They are the most understanding people as long as you do what you are supposed to do and they are always there to support you whenever you get stuck 24/7 and they are very professional.

7. What was your favourite things about the teachers?

My favorite thing about teachers is that they are friendly and they make the working environment an easy space for every one and they try to accommodate and assess you individually. Also they will guide you to the right place.

8. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

In the next 5yrs I want to see myself independent, financially stable and living a purposeful life than just being a developer. I want to see myself at a very best level of my career. Most importantly to grow my relationship with God.