Name: Jed Matangi
Address: Johannesburg, GT, ZA
Telephone: +27(0)79-302-4938

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Hi, I'm
Jed Matangi

BEngTech Chemical Engineering (with Distinction) , UJ

I’m an engineer and a maker, someone who genuinely likes solving problems. I build things! I particularly enjoy working with people who care about turning complex ideas into practical, affordable solutions. My approach is hands-on: prototyping, experimentation, and iterative design. That’s how I learn best. I like connecting ideas across disciplines to create outcomes that feel both functional and intentional. I want to work with people who share that curiosity, enjoy execution, seek collaboration, and want their work to have real, tangible impact.

View My Projects →

About Me

HOW I WORK

MY APPROACH

Most of my work is practical and low-cost. Practical because the projects are built, tested, adjusted, and not just written about. Low-cost because I think when the entry point is affordable enough, more people can try the work themselves, question it, and bring their own perspective to it. That matters to me more than making something polished that nobody can realistically reproduce. A lot of my projects tend to fall into a few areas: waste valorisation, affordable lab equipment, and small-scale systems that use materials in a more circular and economical way. None of these ideas are new on their own. What I find interesting is what happens when they overlap, especially when the cost and barrier to entry stay low.

I also see clear explanation as part of the work. Too much jargon shuts people out, but oversimplifying the engineering also does not help. There has to be a middle ground where someone outside the field can still follow what is happening, why it matters, and how the work could be improved or built on. That is the space I’m trying to work in.

FEATURED WORK

RECENT PROJECTS

A selection of a few of my most recent projects exploring practical engineering and impact.
The work ranges from physical products and prototypes to experimental processes and hands-on builds.

View All Projects →

Biodiesel (From Waste Cooking Oil)

This project focuses on building a small-scale biodiesel process that is clean, consistent, and reproduceable. The emphasis is on practical process design, specifically how mixing, temperature control, reaction time, washing, and settling affect final fuel quality when working with real waste oil and real constraints. Current work is centred on improving fuel clarity and stability, reducing soap formation and glycerol carryover, and developing a repeatable production workflow. The aim is to understand which variables matter most and how tightly they need to be controlled to achieve reliable results. The fuel is tested in simple, real-world applications such as wick lamps, small generators, and basic agricultural equipment to assess combustion behaviour, reliability, and storage performance. These tests are used to validate the process rather than optimise for laboratory conditions. The longer-term direction is a waste-to-value energy process that can be reproduced and taught at small scale. The goal is a system that is technically sound, practical to operate, and realistic to deploy in rural and peri-urban contexts where access to reliable power is limited.

Stirred Tank Reactor (Modular Process Vessel)

This project is a modular, bench-scale stirred tank reactor built from a repurposed aluminium flask and adapted into a controlled, isothermal process vessel. The focus of the system is process behaviour, including mixing, temperature control, residence time, and flow configuration, rather than any single biological application. The working volume is approximately 500 mL within a 750 mL vessel, providing sufficient headroom for agitation, foaming, and thermal stability. This allows the reactor to be operated in batch, semi-batch, continuous, or recycle configurations depending on how the system is set up.

Agitation is provided by a custom-designed impeller mounted on an 8 mm shaft, driven by a high-torque 775 DC motor operating below 10 V. Through several iterations, the impeller geometry was refined to achieve strong circulation with minimal reliance on baffles, allowing effective mixing across a range of fluid viscosities. Temperature measurement is handled using interchangeable thermocouples with varying sensitivities, tested to understand what level of resolution is practically necessary for stable control. A 40 W heating element provides the thermal input, forming a test platform for on–off control and future PID-based temperature control strategies.

Fluid handling is achieved using two pumps, configured as inlet and outlet lines. These can be reconfigured to study different operating modes, including recycle loops, semi-batch operation, continuous flow, and residence-time effects. This flexibility allows the same vessel to be used for a wide range of process control experiments.

The platform is intentionally open-ended. It is designed to behave like a real process vessel, supporting hands-on experimentation with core chemical engineering principles, and can later be adapted for fermentation or biologically relevant systems if required. The goal is a low-cost, modular reactor that prioritises learning through experimentation and realistic process behaviour.

3D Printed Wallet

I started making these wallets for a simple reason. I kept breaking or losing expensive ones. Most minimalist wallets look good, but they tend to be overpriced, fragile, and difficult to fix when something goes wrong. Rather than replacing them repeatedly, I decided to build my own. The design is inspired by the Ridge-style form factor, but reworked from first principles with durability, modularity, and affordability in mind. The goal was not to reinvent the wallet, but to create one that I could maintain, modify, and improve myself. The wallet uses 3D-printed plates paired with interchangeable elastic bands, allowing it to adapt to different carrying needs. Adding more bands creates a tighter, slimmer fit, while fewer bands allow the wallet to expand and hold more cards. The elastic provides the primary holding force, introduces colour, and gives the wallet its character. If a component wears out, it can be replaced. If my carry changes, the wallet can be adjusted. The result is a simple, modular design built to be used, repaired, and refined over time.

Toothbrush Holder

This project is a toothbrush holder designed to accommodate one electric toothbrush and two standard manual toothbrushes. The shape is symmetrical and intentionally simple, aiming to feel solid and durable without becoming bulky. The design is intended for manufacture through aluminium casting or CNC machining, with a focus on robustness and longevity. It can be wall-mounted or used as a standalone unit, allowing it to be easily moved, packed, or used while travelling. Brushes are held separately and kept off surrounding surfaces to reduce contact with moisture, grime, and typical bathroom contaminants. The open geometry allows airflow around each brush, helping them dry more quickly and stay cleaner between uses. The goal of the design is a practical, low-maintenance bathroom accessory that prioritises hygiene, durability, and everyday usability over unnecessary complexity.