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ech

01 · the backstory

About.

Hi, I'm Ethan — a tech professional with an instinct for questioning the way things are done and building something better. I'm drawn to the messy, abstract problems that don't come with a manual: the kind that need creative thinking as much as technical skill. My work sits at the intersection of infrastructure, security, and systems design, and I bring the same first-principles approach to all three — breaking problems down to what actually matters and engineering solutions that hold up.

I'm building toward a career that doesn't just maintain systems, but rethinks them. If it can be optimised, automated, or done more intelligently, I want to be the one doing it.

Timeline

  1. 2020
    Education

    Jeppe High School for Boys

    Matriculated. No university degree — everything since has been self-taught and built through professional experience.

  2. April 2021 – September 2023
    Work

    WhatsApp Support Consultant — Afrihost

    Provided Layer 1 technical support across Afrihost's product range including fibre, ADSL, mobile data, hosting, and email services. Handled device configuration, service provisioning updates, DNS administration, and fault diagnosis. Consistently ranked in the top 10 out of approximately 150 consultants while simultaneously working on personal development projects. Built an internal automation tool that comprehensively diagnosed hosting queries. Youngest team member in the department.

  3. 2022
    Project

    Afrihost Support Toolkit↗

    Internal CLI tool that solved all hosting queries

  4. 2022
    Project

    Online Deals and Business Info Scraper↗

    Automated web scraper that tracked expiring deals across major South African retailers

  5. 2023
    Project

    Auto Website Creator↗

    Web scraper that created new beautiful websites for niche SMEs

  6. October 2023 – Present
    Work

    SysOps Engineer — Nclose | Integrity360

    Linux Infrastructure operations across enterprise client environments including Sanlam, Shoprite, Clicks, Sun International, and Harmony Gold. Responsibilities span deployment, support, and optimisation of security platforms built on the Elastic Stack. Completed 5+ full deployments. Built automated tooling for Opensearch triage and led the correct implementation of ISM policies across environments. Skilled across Linux administration, Puppet configuration management, VMware ESXi, and Python automation. Youngest SysOps engineer on the team.

  7. 2023 – Present
    Project

    Ezmedia↗

    Web hosting and development business building sites for clients.

  8. 2025
    Project

    Opensearch Engineering Toolkit↗

    Automated decision-making tool for Opensearch

  9. 2025
    Project

    Homelab↗

    Production-grade SIEM homelab

  10. 2026 – Present
    Project

    houghton.rocks↗

    This site — an AI-managed portfolio built with first-principles engineering.

  11. In Progress
    Certification

    CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)

    Currently studying.

  12. In Progress
    Certification

    CompTIA Linux+

    Currently studying.

Contact Me →View CV