INCOSE SA Q1 2026 Newsletter

Message from the President #

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all members, partners and stakeholders for your continued support and active engagement with INCOSE South Africa. Through our collective efforts, we have made meaningful progress in strengthening and advancing the systems engineering community. The year 2026 presents further opportunities for growth, collaboration and impact.

Following the recent election results, we enter this year with renewed energy, committed leadership and a shared focus on excellence in systems engineering. I am encouraged by the programme of events and strategic initiatives planned for the year ahead, as these will further enhance our professional community and broaden our reach across South Africa.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication to the profession and to INCOSE South Africa. Let us continue working together to shape and advance the future of systems engineering.

Basie Jansen

President, INCOSE South Africa

INCOSE SA 2026 Chapter Management #

We are pleased to announce the 2026 Chapter Management Committee (CMC):

• President: Basie Jansen
• President-Elect: Molawa Ngoetjana
• Treasurer: Paul Pretorius
• Administration Officer: Richard Shaw
• Membership Officer: Tendani Ramudzuli
• Programmes Officer: Tseke Makola
• Technical Officer: Alan John
• Information Officer: Stewart Gebbie

To support the Chapter in achieving its long-term objectives, the new CMC held a Strategy Session on 21 March 2026. The session focused on reviewing and refining the Chapter’s strategic direction, with specific attention to the following matters:

1. By-laws: reviewing governance arrangements and ensuring alignment with the Chapter’s operating requirements.
2. University awareness and engagement: strengthening awareness among universities that systems engineering has a recognised professional pathway supported by INCOSE certification. The intent is to encourage alignment, where appropriate, between course material and the systems engineering body of knowledge.
3. SEP cohort and examination support: promoting INCOSE Systems Engineering Professional certification and considering incentives for members who successfully complete the examination and achieve certification.
4. Annual Conference preparation: reflecting on feedback from the previous year and preparing for a focused, value-adding 2026 conference and tutorial programme.

The CMC also noted that the 2025 Tutorial Stack was well received by delegates. The limited number of systems engineering academic papers submitted in 2025 further reinforced the value of the Tutorial Stack format as a practical mechanism for supporting learning, professional development and member engagement.

Following the Strategy Session, the 2026 CMC is aligned on the way forward. The strategic and operational plans will be updated to reflect the Chapter’s evolving goals and the changing systems engineering landscape in South Africa.

We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to working together to deliver value to our members and to grow the systems engineering discipline.

The CMC members remain committed to advancing systems engineering in South Africa and to collaborating with the broader community in delivering value and growing the discipline. For more information, visit: https://incose.org.za/about-us.

INCOSE SA New Members #

We are thrilled to welcome our new members who joined INCOSE South Africa in Q1 2026. Your membership helps strengthen the systems engineering community and we look forward to your active participation in upcoming events, workshops, and initiatives.

INCOSE SA 2026 SEP Cohort #

The 2026 Systems Engineering Professional (SEP) Cohort will commence on 4 June 2026 and will run for 13 weeks, concluding on 27 August 2026. This schedule will provide candidates with one full month for individual study and examination preparation ahead of the INCOSE SA Tutorial, scheduled for 14-16 October 2026. Further details, including the exact examination date, will be shared closer to the Tutorial.

Certification Update #

We are pleased to congratulate the following INCOSE South Africa members on their outstanding achievement in obtaining INCOSE certification:

• Dr Naude Scribante: ESEP (Expert Systems Engineering Professional), certified on 08 April 2026. Dr Scribante is a Chief Systems Engineer at Hensoldt GEW.

• Scarre Celliers: CSEP (Certified Systems Engineering Professional), certified on 05 February 2026. Scarre is a Lead Systems Engineer: MK at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).

These certifications represent significant professional milestones and demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in systems engineering. Congratulations to Dr Scribante and Scarre on these well-deserved achievements. INCOSE South Africa is proud to recognise and celebrate your contribution to the profession.

Technical Leadership institute #

We are pleased to announce that INCOSE-SA will be participating in Technical Leadership Institute (TLI) Cohort 12, with the Chapter being represented by Ruan de Lange.

We extend our sincere congratulations to Ruan on being accepted into TLI Cohort 12. We wish him every success as he embarks on the initial two-year experience and engages with the broader Technical Leadership Institute. We look forward to witnessing his growth and contribution throughout this important leadership journey.

The cohort will convene for its first virtual workshop from 13 to 17 July 2026.

INCOSE SA GYSEOY 2025 Challenge #

The 2025/26 Greatest Young Systems Engineers of the Year challenge started in April 2025 and will be formally completed at the Tutorial Stack scheduled for 14 through 16 October 2026. That will also be the launch of GYSEOY 2027, when the next Scenario and Master Schedule will be made available.

Events Highlights #

The INCOSE South Africa Chapter continues to offer diverse learning opportunities through our events. This quarter, we hosted the following chapter events:

Systems Engineering from a Systems Engineering Standards Perspective by John O. Clark. It was an enriching experience, and we thank all those who attended.

Upcoming Events:

Stay tuned for more events coming soon!

INCOSE SA Tutorial Stack #

INCOSE SA will not host a conference this year, but will present a Tutorial Stack at the CSIR in Pretoria during the period 14 through 16 October 2026. The plan is to present two parallel tutorials with an opening keynote during each of the three days. It will be a valuable contribution to the system engineering knowledge and skills of all the attendees.

Company Visits #

INCOSE SA visited Hensoldt GEW to promote systems engineering and to recognise Dr Naude Scribante for achieving his ESEP certification milestone. The visit provided an opportunity to engage with industry stakeholders, strengthen professional networks and highlight the value of systems engineering within South African organisations.

INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook for sale #

Members who wish to order a hard copy of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, Version 5, are requested to email INCOSE South Africa to place a book order. Active members may also download a free soft copy from the INCOSE Store.

INCOSE SA Advertisement Packages #

INCOSE South Africa offers advertisement packages to help you reach our professional community. These packages include:

• Newsflash to our subscribers list for R1,000

• Advertorial placement in the next INCOSE SA newsletter for R1,000 (up to 500 words, company logo, and 1 image)

For more details, please contact us at info@incose.org.za.

Stay connected and engaged as we continue to grow and advance systems engineering together in 2026!

INCOSE South Africa Chapter www.incose.org.za