Expert Guidance

Geotheta is a team of specialist
Geotechnical Engineers and Scientists.


Geotheta is a knowledgeable, experienced and efficient geotechnical engineering consultancy.

Geotheta both employs technical and administrative staff and makes
use of specialist consultants on a project-by-project basis. 

Meet The Team


  • Ian Hammond
    Pr Eng, MBA, GDE, BSc Civil Eng

    Principal tailings and geotechnical engineer.  Ian has over 37 years’ experience in the design, construction, commissioning, and closure of large mining based projects including TSFs, waste rock dumps and discard facilities.

  • David Smith
    Pr Eng, PrCM, MBA, BEng (Civil)

    Project, construction manager and civil engineer. David has been involved in construction and earthworks related projects including tailings facility design modifications and construction. Other projects include roads and bridges construction and rehabilitation.

  • Gerrit Jansen van Ryssen
    PrEng, BSc Civil Eng, Adv Diploma Concrete Technology

    Intermediate Engineer. Gerrit is a tailings geotechnical engineer with experience in tailings facility modelling, design, draughting, construction, operation and reclamation. He also has experience in project and construction management as well as construction supervision.

  • Sheyaam Mahomed
    BSc Civil Eng

    Intermediate Engineer. Sheyaam is a tailings geotechnical engineer with ever growing experience in tailings facility layouts and design, site construction management, light civil structural design, tailings management operations and inspections. 

  • Cristina Hammond

    Cristina is a school teacher of Colombian descent. She is the Deputy Executive Director at Geotheta and is responsible for ensuring that the work we do is done on time and delivered to the clients, and that the clients are satisfied with the service and the product.

  • Jabulani Dhlamini
    BTech Civil Eng

    Civil Technologist. Jabu is a civil engineering technologist with 7 years’ experience in the mine waste engineering field. His experience ranges from tailings facility monitoring, tailings facility and return water dam design, construction and project management, construction site supervision and geotechnical field investigations.

  • Priyanka Seepersad
    BTech Civil Eng

    Graduate Engineer. Priyanka is a water engineering graduate with ever growing experience in the tailings industry.  Priyanka has been involved in design, drawing of tailing facility layouts, light civil structural and road design.

  • Mike Abbott
    BTech Geotechnical and Environmental

    Business development portfolio within Geotheta. Mike has 35 years’ experience in Tailings Storage Facility design, construction, commissioning, operations, and closure. Operational TSF audits in terms of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management within South Africa and Internationally.

  • Meisie Kekana
    BTech Civil Eng

    Graduate Engineer. Meisie is a structural engineering graduate with a growing experience in the tailings engineering industry. Meisie has been involved in the design of civil structures and tailings facilities. Meisie will do the analytical work under the guidance of Sheyaam and mentorship of Ian Hammond.

  • Gcobani Mfundisi
    BTech Civil Eng

    Graduate Engineer. Gcobani is a tailings engineering graduate with ever growing experience in the tailings industry. Gcobani has been involved in design, drawing of tailing facility layouts. 

  • Rylin Keane Naidoo
    BSc Civil Eng

    Graduate Engineer. Rylin specialised in geotechnical engineering in his honors year of study and has been practicing geotechnical engineering from the onset of his career in 2022. He has gained analytical work experience in residential, commercial building, warehouse, and Tailings Storage Facilities (TSFs) developments. His knowledge in the tailings industry is rapidly growing.

  • Tebogo Mogoshane
    BSc Civil Eng

    Graduate Engineer. Tebogo has been involved in tailings facility layouts and design, site construction supervision, tailings management operations. Other projects he has worked on include the design and construction of rockfall mitigation structures in open cast mines.

  • Nasheel Dayalal
    BSc Civil Eng

    Civil Engineer. Nasheel has vast experience and diverse knowledge within the Civil Engineering Sector. Nasheel has been involved in geotechnical design, port & coastal engineering, structural design, as well as project management.

  • Lundie Ntshanga
    HCBM, Candidate BBA

    Communications secretary within Geotheta. Lundie has over 6 years’ experience in customer service, legal administration and recruitment consulting. 

  • Londiwe Ndaba
    NDip Safety Management

    Social Media and website manager. Londiwe creates and oversees our social media campaigns and website. She is in the process of studying towards an Engineering diploma.

  • Kira Coetzee

    Our Social Impact manager. She brings over 7 years’ experience in community upliftment, sales and finance to her role of managing The Way to Happiness campaign within communities that we work.

Consultants


  • Antonie Miller
    BEng (Civil)

    Project, construction manager and civil engineer.  Antonie has been involved in construction and earthworks related projects as well as mining and tailings operations and designs for the last 27 years.  Projects include roads, bridges, opencast mining, tailings dam construction and operations as well as mining infrastructure design and construct and operate.

  • Jaco Bloem
    Pr Sci Nat

    Jaco is a principal engineering geologist.  Jaco has over 25 years’ comprehensive engineering geology experience having undertaken numerous engineering geological investigations in mine and civil related infrastructure development.

  • Niel Scheepers
    BTech Civil Eng

    Digital Terrain Model specialist with 23 years’ experience in civil design and detailing of mine waste disposal facilities. Capabilities include design of earthworks, underdrainage systems, penstock or barge decant arrangements, multi-layered lining systems and surface water management. Niel also prepares 3D images and fly-through videos for presentation purposes.

  • Dr Tom Verbeek
    Pr Eng, PhD

     30 years’ experience including design of airfields, roads design geotechnical engineering, pavement design township services and project management. 10 years’ experience in civil engineering on mines, including tailings operations, water strategies and management and engineering management of structures.

  • Chris Groenewald
    Pr Eng, BSc Civil Eng, Principal Geotechnical Engineer

    Tailings design and geotechnical engineer. Chris has over 30 years’ experience in designing, constructing, operating commissioning and rehabilitation of mine residue storage facilities and related infrastructure. In addition, he has comprehensive geotechnical experience having undertaken numerous geotechnical investigations in related infrastructure development.

  • Angelika Möhr
    Pr Sci Nat, MSc, BSc (Hons), BSc Environmental Science

    Environmental Scientist and Geologist.  Angelika has been involved in the fields of Environmental Management since 2012, within various areas including Mining, Industry, Food and Beverage, and Manufacturing.  Angelika specialises in Environmental Management, Plans and Strategies, Environmental Impact Assessments, Water Management, Waste Management, Integrated Resource Management, Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production Assessments, Carbon Assessments, Environmental Audits, and Contaminated Land Assessment.  Angelika will provide the necessary expertise to do this work.

  • Mark Grave
    MSc Mining Engineering, SANIRE certificated Rock Engineer

    Mark has extensive experience in the design and planning of stoping operations (both narrow reef and open stoping), shaft sinking, declines, slope stability, planning, risk assessments and implementation procedures, testing and selecting of support systems including rock bolts, packs, elongates, cementation and sets.