Eldridge van der Westhuizen

Data Analytics and Special Projects Manager

Eldridge van der Westhuizen is a highly dedicated IT professional with an extensive career spanning over 25 years in the field. His educational background includes obtaining Diploma and Bachelor degrees in IT from Port Elizabeth Technikon. Committed to continuous learning, Eldridge furthered his studies, earning a Master’s degree in IT from Nelson Mandela University in 2011. In 2023, he successfully completed his PhD in IT, with a specialized focus on Health Informatics.

With a robust IT engineering foundation, Eldridge possesses advanced skills in Linux/Unix, Networking, Firewalling, Databases, and Cloud Computing. He played a pivotal role in establishing the first Cisco Academy of Africa and, for three years, delivered Cisco networking courses with a remarkable 100% pass rate. With over 20 years of experience in the tertiary education environment, including 14 years in an IT engineering capacity, Eldridge managed a team of 40 individuals adhering to the ITIL framework at Nelson Mandela University until June 2020.

In July 2020, Eldridge assumed the role of Director of Information Technology Support Services at Durban University of Technology, overseeing all IT operations. Prior to this, he successfully operated his own consulting IT firm for a decade, providing services to prominent companies in the Eastern Cape, such as Nelson Mandela University, Volkswagen SA, General Motors, Aspen Pharmacare, BASF, and Business Connexion.

As a member of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) and a longstanding member of HEITSA, Eldridge brings a wealth of expertise to the table. He firmly believes that, in a world dominated by technology, people make the difference. Anticipating his tenure at HEITSA, Eldridge looks forward to offering IT solutions to all universities.

His guiding motto: “Be yourself – everyone else is taken.”