A little bit about the people at Clyral

We endeavour to foster a culture that is fixated on excellence through bringing together the right people, each of whom absolutely love what they do. With varying areas of focus, we are all passionate about leveraging the internet to solve real problems.

We avoid assigning titles since we find ourselves constantly adapting and wearing many hats based on our combined strengths.

Mark Fowles

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As founder and partner, Mark spends most of his time on business development and strategies for internal and client projects. He created his first website in 2001 and founded Clyral three years later while completing a BSc degree in Computer Science and Information Systems. He is passionate about designing user experiences that lead to elegant software solutions.

Andi Friedman

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As a partner at Clyral, Andi oversees management and is responsible for business development relating to Mobenzi. He gained valuable experience consulting on a software project for one of SA’s mobile networks after completing his BSc Computer Engineering degree in 2004. Andi has a keen interest in business strategy and the application of technology.

Rohland De Charmoy

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Rohland is a partner at Clyral and heads up the technical side of the company. He completed his BSc Computer Engineering degree in 2004 and spent a year with a large corporate consulting firm. Rohland is an avid follower of web based technologies and ensures that the team are always utilising the most appropriate tools and adhering to best practice in their solutions.

Pete Fowles

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As a partner at Clyral, Pete takes a lead technical role on many projects and is unrivalled in his ability to quickly evaluate new technologies and ideas through rapid prototyping. He is always looking for big problems that need solving and is never afraid of diving head first into new projects. Pete has a BSc Computer Science degree and has been developing web based software since 2002.

Byron Du Pavillon

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Byron is our hardware and networking guru. Surrounded by teams of dedicated software developers, his PC and networking wizardry are in high demand. Byron looks after the local network but is also involved in server configuration, database administration and code deployments for our web based software systems. If he is not at the office, Byron will likely be hitting the gym (hard).

Claire van Wyk

Claire has the daunting task of keeping things organised at Clyral from her seat at reception. She fields calls, interprets cryptic requests and makes sure the office is well supplied with everything the team needs to keep running. She’s also the office photographer, after having studied photography at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Claire is also involved in other creative arts, including writing, drawing and music.

Ashleigh Vorster

Ashleigh wears many hats at Clyral, coordinating Mobenzi logistics, Finance and HR administration as well as general office management. She is currently studying toward a BComm degree with a keen focus on HR. In her 'spare time' she has also studied makeup artistry and special effects, has learned to play the guitar, is now taking acting classes and still finds time for the gym every morning.

Njabulo Wela

Njabulo has a National Diploma in Information Technology and can speak fluent English, Zulu, Afrikaans and German. He joined the Clyral team with the primary purpose of assisting with Mobenzi support and operations but is also involved in other areas of the business. He is an avid guitarist and artist, currently studying towards a degree in Digital Visual Arts.

Mary Hartley

Mary completed her Masters degree in Research Psychology at Stellenbosch University after receiving her undergraduate degree from UCT. We first met Mary in 2007 when she coordinated the Philani Mentor Mothers Project. She later shifted focus, joining a software development company and earning a Diploma in Business Analysis at the top of her class. She currently oversees project management for Mobenzi initiatives.

Gareth Jones

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Gareth has been working with web technologies since 2002 and has a well rounded understanding of PHP, the Microsoft stack as well as front-end mark-up and scripting. When he`s not dominating World of Warcraft or uncovering conspiracy theories and unusual creatures, he’s building user-centric web applications with a focus on quick turnaround time.

Maryanne Smith

Maryanne has years of experience in the IT sector and has combined this with her training in Psychology and Communications to bridge the gap between clients and our highly technical service offering. Originally from Durban, Maryanne spent several years in Cape Town before returning to the East Coast. Maryanne enjoys spending time with family, music and art, even squeezing in the odd round of golf.

Wendy Warren

Wendy graduated from Wits University in 2000 with a BSc Electrical Engineering Degree. She has since gained extensive experience across various technologies and industries. Wendy helps bring “balance to the force” by joining a predominantly male team of developers at Clyral. Her spare time is spent keeping fit - either walking the dogs or playing some sort of sport.

Sanrita Haripersad

Sanrita holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology and graduated Cum Laude. Before joining Clyral, she spent time lecturing at the DUT. After joining Clyral as a junior developer, she embarked on a vigorous orientation programme and quickly established her status as Weapon X. In her spare time, Sanrita enjoys watching movies and spending time with family.

Eric Savage

Eric graduated from UCT with an honours degree in Business Science, majoring in Computer Science. His experience includes several years working on a widely-used open source development framework. Since joining Clyral in 2011, Eric has quickly become a key member of our software team. He also has a keen interest in politics, is an avid songwriter and a massive Arsenal football fan.

Malcolm Smith

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Malcolm completed his BSc degree in Computer Science and joined Clyral where he quickly learned how to apply his knowledge within the web-based paradigm. Malcolm enjoys problem solving and gaining deep understanding about the tools and technologies he uses. When he`s not coding up a storm, Malcolm is an avid car fan and always has a browser tab open with the latest reviews.

Chris Sweidan

Chris is an electronic engineer who has eventually found his calling in project management. He has a wealth of experience co-ordinating multinational engineering projects and enjoys the challenge of making sure our teams hit their project milestones. When Chris isn't tinkering with Gantt charts you'll find him on the golf course or chasing a ball around a squash court.

Zimisele Ndlela

Zimisele holds a Bachelors degree in Social Science with majors in Policy and Development. After obtaining a solid grounding at a national NGO, Zimisele joined the Mobenzi operations team and provides support, training and research consulting services to users. Recently married, Zimisele still finds the time to study and is currently completing his Masters degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Nicholas Gorven

Nick studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCT with a particular interest in software development. After joining Clyral as a junior developer he has quickly become a valuable member of the team. Nick is apparently a keen student of Karate, although to-date we have managed to avoid office situations requiring him to demonstrate these skills.

Brendon Warner-Atkinson

Brendon joined Clyral as a user interface designer with over 12 years of experience in the industry. Being self-taught and running his own business for several years allowed him to explore the many facets of User Experience and Interface Design. Brendon is an expert when it comes to front-end web development and the champion for the users perspective of the systems we build. He also likes 80's music (seriously).

Gareth Freeman

Gareth completed his degree in Computer Science before joining the Clyral team way back in 2007. Although competent in various aspects of web projects, he finds himself most at home designing well architected, deeply technical solutions. Gareth is always keen on investing time in learning new technologies. He's also taken up photography as a creative outlet in his spare time.

Steven Ford

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Steven completed a degree in Computational Physics and worked building vehicle simulation software before joining Clyral. His keen interest in math, and thoroughness in his problem solving, make him a valuable resource within the collaborative environment. In his spare time, Steven enjoys prototyping Android and advanced mathematical modelling applications.

Octavia Msomi

Octavia is our refreshments superhero and has the critical task of keeping developers caffeinated and well hydrated. As well as keeping the office clean and tidy, she memorises everyone’s drink orders and schedules and is famous for her magical Milo chocolate drink. Octavia is also the office Zulu tutor and is regularly asked to translate English phrases into Zulu.