ABOUT US
The first IRATA rope access training in South Africa was offered by Etienne Tredoux back in 1998 in Pretoria.
But it was only seven years later when Etienne moved to Cape Town that he founded Ropeworkz and started offering IRATA rope access training in Cape Town at a venue shared with Training Workz.
Ropeworkz grew from strength to strength and within two years was awarded probationary IRATA membership.
In 2010 Ropeworkz moved to its own training venue to keep up with the growing demand for the training program.
Etienne started doing rope access cleaning windows in South Africa in the late ’80s.
It was around the same time that IRATA was in the process of being formed in the United Kingdom.
Almost 10 years later he became one of the first people to be assessed in South Africa as an IRATA technician.
Today he sits on the IRATA Regional Advisory Committee.
Etienne’s knowledge and know-how has been instrumental in various adventure activities including Bloukranz Bungy and Victoria Falls Bungy.
But his passion has always been IRATA training and has been one of the main voices advocating for a more effective way for IWH technicians to convert to IRATA.
When Etienne is not in a rope access training centre or working offshore alongside many of the technicians he has trained or assessed, he can be found crawling over the mountains or camping in the Cederberg with his family.
Office Manager & Assistant Trainer / IRATA level 3
Sakie started at Ropeworkz as a cleaner in 2011, with a dream to one day become an ambulance driver, but she quickly became curious about rope access.
Within three years she had achieved her IRATA level 2, making her one of only 48 women in the world to do so at the time.
Sakie spent her spare time learning a variety of computer skills and soon became indispensable in the office.
Sakie achieved her Level 3 in 2017 and she is now one of 124 women worldwide who hold a Level 3 IRATA qualification.
We all enjoy the feminine energy that Sakie brings to this very masculine industry.
Her determination for self-improvement and passion for helping people can be seen daily as she strives to assist our technicians achieve their goals in the training center.
Whether it is explaining rope access to interested technicians, preparing course material, assisting technicians with tricky maneuvers, or making sure all their paperwork is in order, she ensures they have everything they need.
Sakie dedicates her free time to her community and her young kids.
Carey left her corporate position in 2010 to join the Ropeworkz team.
With over a decade of experience in administration and customer relations, and a passion for organising, she has turned Ropeworkz into the efficient and reliable operation it is today.
Apart from the day-to-day administrative work, she is our go-to person for all inquiries.
Whether it is information regarding courses, lost documentation, or equipment sales, Carey ensures all inquiries are handled promptly.
When Carey is not assisting our technicians, she enjoys running, yoga and organising her family’s camping trips to the Cederburg.