From Kimberley to Canada: World awaits young engineer from the Northern Cape

An inspiring tale for local youth unfolds when following the career of Alvino Bezuidenhout, who was born in Pescodia in Kimberley.

Bezuidenhout, who matriculated from the Kimberley Technical High School (THS) in 2012, is leaving for Canada later this month. He has been presented with the opportunity to pursue his PhD in Mining Engineering on a full-time basis at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, with the support of a research grant.

His wife, Meagan, who was also born in Pescodia, will be joining him. The couple are currently residing and working in the Pretoria area.

Bezuidenhout commenced his educational journey at the Pescodia Primary School and later attended Endeavour Primary School in Floors Twp. After moving to Witbank with his parents at the age of 12, he returned to Kimberley in 2011 where he attended the Kimberley Technical High School (THS), matriculating in 2012.

He then pursued a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria, where he was awarded a full study bursary from Transnet, and graduated with the class of 2016.

Following several years of employment as a civil engineer in Kimberley and later in Johannesburg, he enrolled for his Master of Science in Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg in 2021, and graduated with distinction in April 2023.

Concurrently, he opted to register for his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geotechnical Engineering at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Wits.

Then recently, he has been presented with the opportunity to pursue his PhD in Mining Engineering in Canada.

“It is a very exciting time for us. I will be joining the workforce in Canada and we are looking forward to this new chapter,” Meagan says.

Bezuidenhout has won multiple awards, including:

• he was normally the top ten front-runner throughout high school;
• part of the regional winners of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) bridge building competition in 2012;
• full academic colours at Kimberley THS;
• Dux scholar (2012) at Kimberley THS, where he was top achiever in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Languages, Civil Technology, and Engineering Graphics and Design;
• top Technical student in the Northern Cape (Department of Education provincial awards held in January 2013);
• part of the top 15% of students in the Engineering Faculty in 2015, leading to membership in the Golden Key International Society;
• safety excellence award at Transnet in 2024;
• local bursary award at Wits in 2024;
• Research and Innovation Award in category for doctoral studies, December 2024, from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wits; and
• research grant recipient at the University of British Columbia (2025).

Furthermore, he published several notable works, including:

• a technical paper from his Master’s dissertation in the Japanese Geotechnical Society;
• a technical article on the design and construction of a temporary railway bridge near Vryburg in the SAICE monthly magazine;
• conference papers presented at the South African Heavy Haul Association 2024 and the second Southern African Geotechnical Conference 2025; and
• international conference papers presented at the esteemed Tailings and Mine Waste Conference in 2024, and another paper accepted for oral presentation at this conference scheduled for November 2025 in Banff, Canada.