Chemical engineers are responsible for converting raw materials into valuable products. Mbulelo Mzongwana, describes his role as a chemical engineer.

Recently, Careers24 spoke with Chemical Engineer, Mbulelo Mzongwana, who works for a global petroleum company. He gave some insight into how he became an engineer, what it takes to become a chemical engineer, and offered some advice for aspiring engineers.

Mbulelo  has been in the engineering industry for 20 years. “I broke into the petroleum industry as an engineer in 1997 after graduating from Peninsula Technikon,” he says.

Mbulelo explains why he chose to become an engineer. “I decided to study chemical engineering after attending a careers expo in 1988 at UWC. I realised it has a lot to do with chemistry, a subject I believed I was good at while in high school. Later I learned that physical chemistry is more important than general chemistry.”

One of the main aspects of his role as a chemical engineer involves the conversion of raw materials into valuable products. Mzongwana explains, “We make products out of oil. We turn oil into diesel and we use a particular oil chemical from iron to make steel.

“We also deal with the safety aspect of converting raw materials. For example, we put safety processes in place if there are instances where something has the potential to blow up. We compile and place safety engineering processes in place for the oil company.”

Read how to engineer your way to success.

Mbulelo also shares that being an engineer is an exciting career as there are different kinds of chemical investigations which are conducted to put safety processes in place. Travelling all around the world has also been a great form of education and experience for Mzongwana. “I have travelled to Mozambique, Sakhalin Island in Far East Russia, Zambia, America and France. I was involved in oil and gas upstream operations. This was a very exciting and interesting experience in my career,” he says.

Students must not think they are confined to working in the chemical or industrial complexes. The work of chemical engineers is broader as its application is both social and technical. “Most chemical engineers I know are now employed by banks for their analytical and problem-solving skills,” Mbulelo says.

Mbulelo says that grit and consistency is ultimately what it takes to make a success in this industry. “Many students can’t get into chemical engineering as it also entails a lot of high risk factors. However, they can take the leap if they are passionate, practice grit and learn as they go forward.” 

Read more on why you should attend Engineering industry events here:

Mbulelo keeps abreast of engineering trends by participating in activities of the South African Institute of Chemical Engineers, of which he is a member. “The institute helps in networking, personal career development in education and modern trends in engineering,” he explains.

Does this sound like a career path you’d like to pursue? Take a look at the latest chemical engineering internships here.

Laura Africa serves as Customer Service Liaison and Writer at Careers24. She started her career as a journalist, and shifted into customer service after discovering her passion is to assist people and deliver sterling service. In her downtime, Laura enjoys spending time outdoors with her family.