The first thing I notice on Pietie Traut’s bookshelf is a sturdy Sociology book, securely wedged between various technical manuals. It makes complete sense that the study of social behaviour, development, organisation and institutions interest him.
Here we have someone who has so many stories to tell, after an hour and 45 minutes my pen’s ink ran dry. He loves people, but his thoroughness and consistency found a secure footing in his current position as Managing Head of IT’s Portfolio and Project Office.
People have to be given the opportunity to build a future for themselves within an organisation, to be given room for development.
“They must be given the opportunity to contend. Keep the dream alive!” His own career is a living example of this belief.
He was sent to school at an early age – “I was a busy child, my mother probably wanted to get rid of me.” At the age of 19, three years after completing matric, he started teaching matric.
His first PC was a ZX Spectrum with a mere 1k memory. At this stage he was already convinced that, one day, everything would work with buttons!
His love of technology led to a technical diploma, educational diploma (with technology as speciality) and a diploma in Data metrics and came to it’s full potential at various companies, among others the then Post Office, now Telkom SA.
“I’m actually an electrical guy.”
He remembers the installation of the first modem in Cape Town and how these pieces of equipment were still dismantled and fixed. The first modems ran at 200 bits per second, then 600 bps, 1200 bps, 2400 bps, etc. News photos in papers, also known as land line photos, were sent by copper land lines and then printed on photo paper with the words “Photo via land line” underneath.
Of course Morse code was the forerunner of electronic communication and later the teleprinter – an amazing piece of electro mechanics sending 7.5 bits at 50bps characters, on a copper land line – even overseas.
Those days, once you’ve worked for the Post Office, you wouldn’t be able to get another job at some other private institutions. But Pietie’s persistence paid off when he was appointed at Saambou’s computer division. Unfortunately this meant they had to move to Sunnyside in Pretoria. Initially he rented a flat from a Free State farmer with newspaper curtains. He works at Saambou for 7 months, while his wife, Estelle, misses the Cape desperately.
“Every time they showed Table Mountain on the television, she started crying.”
Around this time, in 1983, the first referendum for the three houses of parliament, was held and he went to vote with his youngest in tow in his pram.
His luck turned around when a colleague’s cousin, a manager at R&R (then Rupert & Rupert) in Paarl, stopped by for a tour of Saambou’s mainframe room. Without hesitating he asked for a job at R&R.
A week later he receives a call from the head of R&R’s Information Division. After negotiating payment of moving costs and furniture storage, Pietie and Estelle are back in Cape Town.
In 1984 he starts working at Stellenbosch University’s IT department with Kobus Meij, Nick Lubbe, Helmi Dreijer, Johann Kistner and also Herman Heunis, founder of Mxit.
Not long after Boland Bank offers him an opportunity to engineer his own career with a brand new position. He remembers this time as one of hard work. It was more than an 8 to 5 job.
“After normal working hours I went home and did the odd jobs around the house men are supposed to do, had dinner and at 9 o’clock went back to work until 2 the next morning.”
Over time dynamics at the bank changed, as with many others during the 80’s and 90’s. Bolank Bank becomes NBS Boland, then Boland PKS and in the end BoE Bank. PEP Bank is also born from these at the time and later also Capitec.
By this time he was smoking 40 cigarettes per day and Christmas 1999 he ends up in hospital to have a stent fitted. This and the unstable work environment convinced him to make a career change and for a second time, in October 2000 he joins the University. This time as Internet and Telecommunications Manager.
Under his management the three tier internet tariff structure is implemented, larger bandwidth is negotiated and the first Siemens IP speech telephone system installed.
“I was also responsible for investigating and facilitating the larger video conferencing systems on campus.” The highlight during this time was Prof Russel Botman’s video chat with the rector of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. The event was broadcasted in real-time from the Endler hall via a “borrowed” 15Mbps connection.
“I remember how Mohamed Shaikh came to hug me afterwards at the cocktail party. He was that relieved everything went without a hitch.” The success of this technically nerve-racking event was also made possible by Joe Smit and Barry Sauermann.
At the same time mass e-mails are being implemented, the traditional switchboard phased out and the current US Service Desk established.
In 2011 restructuring takes place within IT and Pietie reaches a fork in the road.
“I had to take a leap of faith.”
The leap of faith became IT’s Project office, consisting of Pietie, Marius Vorster and Camen Petersen. This team sees to all IT projects being documented and that the correct project management processes are followed. At the moment approximately 83 projects are in development and regular project board meetings are held to ensure these projects add value to business and the three strategic focus areas of SU, namely Academic, Research and Community Interaction.
However, this definitely isn’t an easy, smooth exercise – mind shifts have to be made in an environment where people are used to their own set ways.
“Success breeds success. If we can prove these processes work, we can change reasoning.” It’s all part of the challenge.
When they take a break Pietie and Estelle packs their new teardrop trailer and goes camping in Kenhardt (in winter) and Dwarskersbos (in summer).
“Pitching a tent is a test for any marriage. That’s why Estelle does it and I rather just walk away.”
No wonder it’s a bit stressful, considering a Taurus and Leo are equally stubborn and pig-headed.
Occasionally they also take the motorbike, a sturdy BMW R1200R road bike and explore the country. He’s completed 3 Buffalo Rallies and doesn’t mind driving long distances on his own.
Some of these trips include one of 4700km over 7 days to Phalaborwa for a friend’s wedding, 2700km in 5 days to a farm on the Botwana border, 90 km’s east of Aranos in Namibia and this year almost 2400km in 6 days to Kenhardt, his home town. During the latter he backpacked to Elands Bay and ended up singing and playing guitar in the local Wit Mossel Pot. The bucket list still includes Route 66 in the USA, but at this stage he might swop it for a trip to Nashville for the Country Music Awards.
After almost 2 hours of stories (and a dried up pen), I was on my way to a next meeting, fairly satisfied that I had enough material to work with. But Pietie, fittingly as a story teller, had to have the last word.
“During that time I worked so hard, I also played in the band every weekend …. with Clive Bruce, Bles Bridges, Hennie from Egoli and Gene Rockwell. ”
“Did you play their songs?” I innocently asked.
“No, I was with them on stage! And then there’s that famous cousin of mine. He has this song called “Drie pikkewyne”, but I’m a better singer than he is!” he jokes.
