Jaco

Jaco van der Spuy found his calling well before he started working. Coming from a family that is involved in the industry, Jaco has been exposed to engineering for most of his life.

“I was basically born into the industry. My father and grandfather were both in the construction industry, and I often accompanied them to work over the weekends as a child. I learned so much from them and cherish the memories and time with them.”

Jaco is a Civil Technician and joined Royal HaskoningDHV in 2008 when the company was still trading as SSI Engineers & Environmental Consultants.

Jaco prides himself on having engineering principles down to a T and coaches young engineers on fostering these fundamentals without solely relying on technology.

“If you’re in the middle of nowhere and your laptop fails, your project can’t come to a standstill. The contractor isn’t going to wait for you to replace the laptop. They also have deadlines, and you need to know how to solve problems without depending on anything else. That’s how my mentor, André Vermaak, taught me, and it’s what I’m trying to teach the younger engineers.”

Favourite work memory?

"After an initiative where we tutored matric learners to improve their marks for university admission, one of the students we helped became a medical doctor.”

Jaco has experienced being thrown in the deep end. As a young engineer, he was sent to the Northern Cape with a project file and a week to prepare for an 18-month assignment. “It was a sink-or-swim situation, but the project was a major success. They trusted my industry experience and allowed me to use my intuition to make important decisions and steered me in the right direction when I needed it.”

While studying, Jaco was conflicted between choosing on-site work and consulting. So, after his studies, he worked on-site for four years before switching to consulting. This way, he can spend time in the office and in the field, giving him the best of both worlds.

However, what Jaco appreciates most about his job is the family dynamic. Despite predominantly working from home, his work life offers a valuable support system where colleagues can be themselves.

“These are the people I’d go to war with because we all have each other’s backs.”

Most important lesson?

“Always try first before asking for advice. It’s frustrating but learning from your own mistakes is the only way to grow your knowledge and skills.”

Jaco is known as a joker in his personal and professional life. His humour has even won him an award for being the biggest joker in the office. Whether pulling a prank or working on an important project, as long as Jaco can make a positive impact, he knows he’s on the right path.

“What motivates me to come to work every day is the impact I make to communities. When I work on a project that ultimately enables people to access necessary amenities, I feel a sense of accomplishment that I’m making a difference.”