A goal, passion and perseverance guide Tele
Curiosity drove systems manager into engineering
Lisa Tele’s inquisitive mind led her to study electronic engineering.
Tele is a system’s engineer at the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS). The 42-yearold said that as a child she would sit in front of a radio and wonder what was inside. For years she was also captivated by what made airplanes fly.
Tele grew up in the Eastern Cape where she completed her matric at Nyanga Secondary School.
“I was a brilliant student in maths and science,” she said.
She did a diploma in electrical engineering at Walter Sisulu University in 1996. Her career took off in 1998 at Sentech, where she commissioned signals for radio and TV stations.
She came to Gauteng in 2000 to further her studies. Tele got her degree in electronic engineering at the University of Johannesburg in 2004. She then worked at Eskom as a project engineer until 2008 when she joined ATNS.
“At first I wanted to be a doctor but I chose engineering because I am a very inquisitive person,” she said.
She is a systems/project manager at ATNS’ communications navigation and surveillance planning.
“In order for us to control air traffic we need communication infrastructure. In order for a plane to fly from one point to the other, it needs navigation equipment. Air traffic controllers use surveillance equipment to monitor planes. My job is to design radio communication solution infrastructure.”
Tele said safety was the most important element of her current job.
“I interact with different people and provide solutions for some of their problems.
“We interact with people from different countries so that we can benchmark our service with what other countries provide.
“We come back and try and meet standards.”
Tele’s achievements include being a panel member at the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
“I represent SA in matters relating to radio frequency spectrum. I was also a member of the International Telecommunication Union in 2015 as a rapporteur for the African region.”
Tele said she would like to grow further in her field. She completed a Bachelor of Science honours degree in technology management at the University of Pretoria in 2015 and is currently studying towards a master’s degree. She plans to get a PhD in technology after that.
“You must have a goal, passion and perseverance.”