Tinyiko Mahlaule is reimagining utilities at Wits
- OFMD
Mahlaule, Deputy Director of Energy, Utilities and GMR Compliance, leads a dedicated team of professionals supporting the academic project.
There is a quiet but powerful revolution underway at Wits University, one that is not making headlines, but is powering the lights and securing water flow. It’s essential infrastructure working despite municipal challenges. At the heart of it is Tinyiko, Deputy Director for Energy, Utilities and GMR Compliance, a seasoned engineer and systems thinker with a 22-year journey across major industries, and now, Wits.
Skills to match the vision
Armed with a Master of Engineering degree and recognition as the top electrical engineering student by the SA Institute of Measurement Control, Mahlaule’s career has been built on grit, and excellence. From managing complex operations in the Lesotho Highland Water Project to mentoring the next generation of engineers through the Engineering Council of South Africa, his footprint is far-reaching.
He joined the University’s Operations and Facilities Management Department (OFMD) in October 2024.
Here's how a conversation with him unfolded, starting with his choice to join Wits.
“I was inspired by the opportunity to grow while solving real challenges in a dynamic space. This role allows me to collaborate, lead, and help build a legacy.”
He may not be the loudest voice in the room, but his impact echoes through the very veins of the campus. He and his team are reimagining how utilities serve education, and how service excellence becomes a lived experience.
Some of the critical problems he identified include, aging infrastructure and lack of preventive maintenance, slow response times, inconsistent service quality, absence of clear service level agreements with service providers and skills gaps in internal teams.
Teamwork and modernisation
Under Tinyiko’s leadership, the Utilities and Governance and Risk Management (GRM) Unit has launched a multi-phase transformation strategy. It includes developing a 10-year infrastructure upgrade plan, rolling out hybrid solar systems to reduce the campus’ carbon footprint, implementing a computerised maintenance management system for efficiency, signing and launching energy audits and check-metering installations to reduce costs and boost sustainability. One of Tinyiko’s driving philosophies is to upskill internal staff and reduce dependency on external contractors.
“When we invest in our people, we enhance quality, accountability, and foster pride in our work.” He believes in empowering teams to align with the university’s mission and encourages an open, collaborative culture where everyone feels part of the solution.
Beyond pipes, meters, and switches lies the real mission: service excellence. “To me, it is not about overpromising it is about consistently delivering what we have committed to. By this time next year, I am confident Wits will see and feel the difference.” he says.
And when the days are long and the systems falter, what keeps him going? “The knowledge that I am making a difference, that our efforts are improving lives on campus. That is what fuels me.”
His roadmap does not stop at short-term fixes. His team is laying the groundwork for complete replacement of bulk water and energy infrastructure, a business continuity plan to ensure uninterrupted utility supply, a long-term GMR compliance and contractor accountability and appointment of a new Utilities Manager.
His message to the Wits community is clear: “We see the challenges, and we are acting. But transformation is a team effort, and with your collaboration and feedback, we will go further, faster.”
This article was originally published in the OFMD’s newsletter.