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Nkululeko Mbhele

7 years shipping production systems

Senior engineer. Lead the EzExtend stream at OES. Founder of Tredicik.

Nkululeko Mbhele

Senior Software Engineer · Full Stack (C#/.NET · React · SvelteKit · FastAPI) · Cloud (AWS, Azure) · Team Lead. Cape Town, South Africa.

Get In Touch

Tech I Build With

C#C#
.NET.NET
BlazorBlazor
ReactReact
SvelteSvelte / Kit
TypeScriptTypeScript
JavaScriptJavaScript
Node.jsNode.js
Express.jsExpress
PythonPython
FastAPIFastAPI
DjangoDjango
PHPPHP
AWSAWS
AzureAzure
DockerDocker
JenkinsJenkins
PostgreSQLPostgreSQL
MySQLMySQL
C#C#
.NET.NET
ReactReact
SvelteSvelte / Kit
TypeScriptTypeScript
Node.jsNode.js
PythonPython
FastAPIFastAPI
AWSAWS
AzureAzure
DockerDocker
PostgreSQLPostgreSQL

About Me

Full stack engineer with 7 years of experience building production systems end-to-end — C#/.NET and React through to cloud infrastructure and CI/CD. My strength is backend and architecture, but I own the whole product: I take MVPs to live, tested, scalable systems and I raise the standard of the teams I work in.

I currently lead the EzExtend product stream at OES (Online Education Services) — a Canvas LMS integration handling 200k+ student extension requests across US and Australian universities. In parallel I run Tredicik, a multi-tenant SaaS platform I founded and built solo, sustaining R300K+ in revenue over 3+ years.

0 Years Shipping
0 EzExtend Student Requests
0 Production Sites Run

What I Do

01

Full Stack Product Engineering

End-to-end delivery on C#/.NET, React, SvelteKit, FastAPI, Node, Django. I take MVPs to live, tested, scalable systems — frontend, backend, database, integrations.

02

Cloud & DevOps

AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, SQS, EC2, RDS, S3, Route 53, SES, CloudFront), Azure Storage, Docker, Jenkins CI/CD.

03

Architecture & API Design

Multi-tenant SaaS, payment backends, queue-driven systems, third-party integrations — Canvas LMS, WhatsApp Business API, OpenAI/Claude APIs, payment gateways.

04

Team Leadership & Mentorship

Lead the EzExtend stream — architect features, align other developers' work to team goals, mentor Cape Town engineers, run PR/code reviews and Agile ceremonies.

Case Studies

01

Tredicik — Multi-tenant SaaS

Founder & Lead Engineer · 2021 — Present
FastAPISvelteKitPostgreSQLC#DockerAWS EC2/ALB/RDS
  • Built a multi-tenant backend covering CRM, invoicing, bookings, and data workflows — every layer owned solo.
  • Integrated WhatsApp Business API, OpenAI/Claude, payment gateways, and booking systems from scratch.
  • Architected deployment across production AWS with isolation per tenant.
R300K+ revenue over 3+ years · 30+ sites run
tredicik.com
02

OES EzExtend — Canvas LMS Integration

Lead Engineer · 2025 — Present
SvelteTypeScriptNode.jsAWS LambdaAPI GatewayDynamoDBSQSAzure StorageJenkins
  • Lead the build: architect new features, break work down, align other developers' tasks to broader team goals.
  • Shipped automated reporting, an Azure Storage integration, and an SQS-based optimisation to handle 200k+ student requests.
  • Re-architected extension-type handling — each type now independent and scalable.
  • Set up Jenkins CI/CD; led Safe Exam Browser third-party integration.
200k+ student requests · US & AU universities
03

KRS Club — Gym Management Platform

Full Stack Engineer · 2023 — 2025
C#PHPPython / DjangoVueSvelteMySQLAzure
  • Multi-stack work across C#, PHP, and Python simultaneously for 700+ clubs and 2.1M members (Virgin Active, Planet Fitness).
  • Built payment backends integrating third-party debit-order providers — strict accuracy and reconciliation guarantees.
  • Identified gaps in the legacy PHP codebase; proposed a full platform revamp later adopted by the company.
  • Mentored juniors in SQL, Azure, and PHP; drove PR review and sprint planning.
~R500M monthly debit orders processed
04

Foodprint Labs — WhatsApp Automation

Full Stack Engineer · 2021 — 2022 · $2M raised
C# / .NETReactExpress.jsPython / DjangoMySQL
  • Owned the entire stack at a venture-backed startup — drove a basic MVP to a live, tested, functional product.
  • React frontend on an Express.js layer, with a C#/.NET backend; architected APIs and core services.
  • Delivered a separate Django WhatsApp-bot project, integrating the WhatsApp API for automated communications.
MVP → production · UI, API, architecture owned
05

drone-trace — Aerial Projection

Founder · Side product
SvelteKitTypeScriptWebGLZero-backend
  • Frontend-first product: trace aerial paths to a stadium-sized projection from a closet-sized drone setup.
  • Zero-backend architecture — every interaction handled client-side, sketches projected via a custom lightbox/trace layer.
  • Gesture-based controls; the dumbest-version-that-works philosophy.
Shipped solo · published roadmap
06

Umsebenzi — WhatsApp CV

Founder · AI product
FastAPIClaude / HaikuWhatsApp Business APIPostgreSQL
  • Lowers the CV barrier for job-seekers without laptops — full résumé built over WhatsApp, no app to install.
  • Built a 10-hour MVP using Claude Haiku for cost-controlled generation, with human review on edge cases.
  • R30 CV pricing — accessible to township users at scale.
No-laptop CV path · human-in-the-loop
07

EagleVPN — Privacy-first VPN

Founder · Privacy product
WireGuardNode.jsReseller layerCarrier-grade routing
  • Privacy-first VPN with honest marketing copy — no fake server counts, no inflated features.
  • Carrier and reseller layer built in from day one for ownership-based monetisation.
  • QA-driven release cycle; origin story baked into the brand.
Owner-first product · reseller-ready
08

isiXazululi — Bilingual Scan EdTech

Founder · EdTech
SvelteKitOCROpenAI / ClaudeisiZulu localisation
  • Scan-and-explain tool for South African learners — bilingual isiZulu + English explanations of homework problems.
  • Rating-based feedback loop so the model improves on locally-relevant content, not generic Western curriculum.
  • Built on the same accessibility principle as my isiZulu coding content on TikTok and Instagram.
Native-language learning · scan → explain
09

Triqva — Pricing & Sandbox

Founder · Product
SvelteKitFastAPIPostgresStripe-style pricing
  • Sandbox-first product onboarding: try the full surface area before signing up, no demo-call gatekeeping.
  • Transparent pricing engine designed to scale across markets with a single source of truth.
Self-serve · pricing transparency
10

Ayanda Mabaso — Coaching Platform

Client · Brand & product
SvelteKitFastAPITredicik backendBookings
  • Coaching platform with packages, qualification flow, deep-dive sessions, and revenue tracking.
  • Built on Tredicik infrastructure so the client gets bookings, invoicing, and training delivery out of the box.
  • Speaking and training offers wired into the same scale system the SaaS runs on.
Scale-ready coaching brand
11

Client Sites — Production Delivery

Tredicik · 2022 — Present
SvelteKitTailwindAWS S3 + CloudFrontCloudflare
  • matasaa.co.za, phya.co.za, ruraltothemoon.co.za, leseliengineering.co.za, pfsaq.org and others — 30+ production sites run on the same Tredicik infra.
  • Each site deployed with the same S3 + CloudFront + Cloudflare pattern this portfolio uses.
  • Shared component library and design tokens so updates ship across sites at once.
30+ sites · single deploy pattern
12

Wesgro — Grab A Grad

PHP & C#/Blazor Developer · 2021
C# / BlazorPHP / WordPressPower BI
  • Brought on for WordPress delivery; earned a move onto the core C#/Blazor system and Power BI work after proving programming ability.
  • Delivered work for Wesgro — the Western Cape's official trade, investment, and tourism agency.
  • Analysed requirements, built and tested backend features, coordinated with frontend developers.
Public-sector client · cross-stack delivery

Beyond Engineering

—

Tech Content Creator

isiZulu coding education
  • Coding and software-education content in isiZulu for township communities.
  • 48K followers on TikTok · 19K on Instagram.
  • Making the tech world accessible in people's own language.
67K+ combined social reach
—

Competitive Chess

2010 — 2020 · FIDE-rated
  • FIDE Standard 1668 · Rapid 1608 · Blitz 1651.
  • 3rd place at SA National Universities Championships 2019 representing UCT.
  • Represented KwaZulu-Natal in 3 national tournaments.
A decade of long-range planning under pressure

Contact Me

Location:

Cape Town, South Africa
Hybrid (Cape Town / Johannesburg) · Remote-first

Phone:

+27 64 686 5383

Email:

nkululekombhele6017@gmail.com

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