For newly-capped Dr Simiso Ntuli, growing up in Enseleni Township outside Richards Bay, the future always seemed endless and full of potential.

Physics classes at his school, Tholokuhle High, were a favourite and that’s where his dream of working in engineering was born.

Fast forward a decade and Ntuli’s intense curiosity and perseverance culminated in the proud moment of graduating with a PhD in Engineering (Land Surveying) from UKZN.

“Graduating means achieving a long-term goal and seeing the results of years of hard work,” Ntuli reflected. “Studying for my PhD has been challenging but rewarding. It gave me the chance to learn, solve problems and contribute new knowledge to geomatics. It’s helped me grow as a researcher and prepared me to make a difference in both academia and industry.”

His is not a story of someone who had to leave home to excel. Instead, it is about using the resources closest at hand and leveraging them to the fullest. UKZN, ranked among South Africa’s top universities for engineering, was the obvious choice. It offered world-class facilities, experienced supervisors and was close enough to family to keep roots intact.

“I chose UKZN because it is near my home town, Richards Bay,” Ntuli explained. “I grew up in Enseleni Township, and UKZN gave me the best of both worlds – an excellent academic environment and the support network of home.”

At UKZN, Ntuli completed a BSc and MSc in Land Surveying, a field that brings together mathematics, science and the built environment. “In high school I had a strong interest in physics and my post-matric study choices were focused on engineering. But land surveying captured my interest because it involves physical work with practical applications. That shaped my field of study and inspired my career path in geomatics.”

As an undergraduate, Ntuli’s curiosity was ignited by a final-year project on 3D point clouds generated from drone images using photogrammetry technology that allows precise measurements from aerial photographs. “I found the process fascinating and discovered many interesting research gaps,” Ntuli recalled.

With encouragement from his supervisor, Mr Angus Forbes, that initial spark grew into a clear research direction. Even after working in industry on land surveys, the passion for photogrammetry and teaching never faded. “My true interest remained in photogrammetry and automation,” Ntuli said. “That motivated me to pursue a master’s qualification and a PhD to explore innovative applications of 3D mapping.”

His doctoral research broke new ground in artificial intelligence for geomatics, and involved teaching computers to automatically recognise and sort 3D maps of land and underwater areas. The system can identify features like buildings, trees and submerged objects, which is a leap forward for city mapping, environmental monitoring, search and rescue and underwater heritage protection.

“In layman’s terms, we’re training computers to see the world the way humans do, but faster and at scale,” Ntuli explained. “This automation reduces manual work, speeds up processes and provides reliable results for real-world applications.”

The potential benefits are vast: smarter urban planning, stronger disaster management, quicker environmental assessments, safer infrastructure inspections and better preservation of marine heritage. “Yes, it definitely impacts society,” Ntuli affirmed. “It provides practical solutions that make communities safer and protects important resources.”

No doctoral journey is completed alone and mentorship was pivotal for Ntuli. “My supervisors, Dr Mayshree Singh and Mr Angus Forbes, played important roles through their unwavering support and guidance,” he said. “I’m also grateful to the National Research Foundation sponsor, which made my research journey possible.”

“My sister, Siphesihle Ntuli, always encouraged me to study further while my family and friends were also very supportive.”

Ntuli is already deeply embedded in the profession. A Professional Land Surveyor registered with the South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) and a Sectional Titles Practitioner, he also lectures in Geomatics at the Durban University of Technology.

“I plan to pursue a career in academia while collaborating with industry, mentoring students and supervising research projects,” he said. “I want to develop practical solutions and contribute to capacity building in the field.

Despite the intense demands of postgraduate study and lecturing, Ntuli manages to carve out time for other passions. He enjoys attending orchestra and opera performances and has a particular love of classical music and instruments, especially the piano. “It’s something completely different from my work and it keeps me grounded,” he said.

By combining advanced mapping technologies with a commitment to teaching and mentoring, Ntuli is helping to build not only smarter cities and safer environments but also stronger pathways for students following in his footsteps.

Words: Swasti Maney

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini