IWFSA member PROFILING SERIES

Prof Hannelie Nel reflects on a life shaped by purpose, resilience and growth, through the lens of engineering leadership as a force for societal change.

Her story moves from a Karoo farm along the Fish River to lecture halls, international work, authorship, advocacy and the urgent conversations shaping the future of engineering, technology and artificial intelligence.

At its heart, her journey is not only about what engineering can build, but about who it serves, who it includes, and what kind of future it helps make possible.
For Prof Hannelie Nel, engineering has never been only about machines, systems or technical solutions. It is about people. It is about responsibility. It is about building a world in which human beings feel respected, included and prepared for the future.

An Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Technology Management at the University of Pretoria, Prof Nel has worked across six countries and travelled to many more. Her professional journey has taken her through engineering, academia, leadership, research, authorship and advocacy.

For Prof Nel, if she commits to something, whether in her professional life or personal relationships, she wants people to know that she will honour that commitment.

A childhood shaped by wonder

It was a childhood close to nature, shaped by open landscapes, the rhythm of seasons, the night sky and the practical work of farm life. She remembers the stars of the Karoo as something that made her dream.

Alongside the beauty of the land was another source of fascination: machinery.

On the farm there were tractors, large vehicles and earthmoving equipment used to build roads, dams and other infrastructure.

As a little girl, she would spend time near the barns, watching mechanics, maintenance teams and her brothers work on the machines.

Looking back, she sees that those early experiences quietly shaped her. Before she had the words for it, she was already drawn to the mechanical and built environment. She saw that engineering could bring ease, access and joy to communities.

Her path into engineering was not mapped out from the beginning. Growing up in a small town, she did not have access to extensive career guidance.
It was her uncle, a professor of chemical engineering, who asked whether she enjoyed mathematics and chemistry. Engineering became, in her words, her life’s purpose and path.

Engineering as a force for societal change

Prof Nel believes society often underestimates engineering because people do not always see how deeply it shapes daily life. Almost everything around us, she explains, has been enabled, designed or built through engineering.

This understanding gives engineering enormous power. It also gives engineers enormous responsibility.

Nowhere is this more urgent than in the age of artificial intelligence. Prof Nel sees AI as one of the most significant industrial revolutions of our time. She is excited by its possibilities, but also deeply aware of its risks.

For her, the question is not only what AI can do, but why it is being used, who it serves, and how humanity remains protected within systems increasingly shaped by technology.
She believes engineers, academics and educators must help society prepare for the future of work. This includes ensuring that students are trained not only in technical skill, but in ethical judgment, governance and human-centred thinking.

In her view, the engineers of the future must know how to use AI responsibly, and how to design systems in which human input remains central.
For Prof Nel, what distinguishes human beings is creativity, individual thought and the ability to create with purpose. AI may follow instructions, but human beings remain the creators. That distinction, she believes, must be protected.

Opening pathways for women in Engineering

Much of Prof Nel’s life’s work is focused on women in engineering and technical fields. She is deeply concerned about the pipeline that either draws girls into engineering or quietly pushes them away from it.

For her, the challenge begins early. Young girls are often not given toys, examples or learning experiences that help them relate to engineering.

She compares this to the medical field, where children may play with toy stethoscopes and doctor’s coats, making the idea of becoming a doctor visible and imaginable from a young age. In technical fields, she believes girls are often not given the same relational entry point.

The challenge continues through school, where technical examples and teaching materials are often not designed in ways that girls can easily relate to. Career guidance can also reinforce outdated ideas about what is suitable for women.

Even when women enter engineering programmes and perform exceptionally well, the transition into industry can be difficult. Women may find themselves isolated in male-dominated environments, without mentors, sponsors or visible role models.

This is why representation matters so deeply to her. She wants young women to see successful technical women and know that they too can belong, lead and succeed.

The woman behind the work

Beyond engineering, Prof Nel is someone who finds joy in connection, creativity and beauty. She loves sharing meals with family, friends and the women she mentors. Food and conversation are deeply meaningful to her.

Travel is another source of joy. She loves arriving in a foreign city, hearing an unfamiliar language and placing her feet on a road she has never walked before. When she travels, she seeks out art galleries, museums, theatre, music, ballet, opera and other cultural experiences.

Art, for her, is soul-restorative. It brings creativity, wonder and appreciation back into her spirit, allowing her to return to her work renewed.

She also has a playful side. She enjoys children and their creative, unfiltered way of seeing the world. With affection, she describes being silly with her young nephew and taking it as a compliment when he calls her funny; because this is the way children learn best, through fun.

When asked about the guiding truth that has carried her through life, Prof Nel returns to two words: authenticity and courage.

She believes people should try to be as authentic and courageous as they possibly can. For her, the two belong together, because many people are afraid to be who they truly are.
Prof Nel believes each person carries a unique set of gifts. To live authentically is to honour those gifts. To live courageously is to bring them into the world despite fear.

Prof Nel is currently an Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Technology Management at the University of Pretoria, where her work spans engineering management, digital transformation, quality management, sustainability, circularity, enterprise and project risk management, and women in engineering.

She continues to teach, supervise, research and contribute to conversations on the future of engineering and technology, including artificial intelligence, human-centred AI governance, systems thinking and the preparation of future engineers.

She is also continuing her work as an author. Prof Nel authored Leadership and Agency by Women Engineers in South Africa. She co-authored The Development of Women and Young Professionals in STEM Careers with Dr Michelle Kruger.

She is currently working on her third book, Celebrating Women Engineers in the UAE, which honours the journeys and contributions of women engineers who have built careers across borders.

Her intention is to continue writing books that celebrate technical women across the world, with a future focus on women engineers in Africa. Through this work, she hopes to make visible the women who have led, built, designed, mentored and opened doors in Engineering, STEM and the related technical fields.

“Be authentic and courageous.”

Books & Writing

  • Authored:
    • Leadership and Agency by Women
    • Engineers in South Africa.
  • Co-authored with Dr Michelle Kruger:
    • The Development of Women and
    • Young Professionals in STEM Careers.
  • Current book:
    • Celebrating Women Engineers in the UAE.

What still drives her

  • To supervise Masters and Doctoral students in Engineering Management and develop their critical thinking skills;
  • and to to show young women that they too can belong, lead and succeed in engineering

Find Prof Hannelie here:

Related posts