Testing the limits, exploring the possibilities, creating a new reality for online payments. Who do these words fit? A mad scientist? No, these are actually three attributes of the exceptional engineering team at Peach Payments responsible for helping us revolutionise payments in Africa.
Meet Brian Venter, our Quality Assurance Engineer.
How did you get started in tech?
Perhaps like most of my generation in tech, I was drawn in by the fascinating challenges that technology has the potential to solve, and all the gaming I did growing up potentially had a factor too. I graduated from Rhodes University with a BSc Honours in Computer Science and Information Systems with the intention of becoming a business analyst. However, because it is not typically a role that can be started right out of university, I started as a QA Engineer and haven't looked back.
What do you love most about your role?
Working with very passionate individuals, creating something that could hopefully provide a pleasant experience and meaningful impact. However, most of all, I thoroughly enjoy being able to contribute in a wide range of ways; from finding those pesky bugs manually, writing test automation, to jumping into root cause analysis and finding a solution with the team.
What advice would you give others who are starting out in your field?
Never stop being curious and asking questions. The pursuit of understanding how any particular feature or function works in isolation, and where it fits into the bigger picture often provides opportunities for learning and assisting your teammates in creating something robust and meaningful.
What skills have helped you succeed at Peach Payments?
I would think my keen eye for detail, ability to approach a challenge by looking at it from different perspectives, understanding of how code is written, which provides unique insight on how to effectively test features, and collaboration have all played a factor in helping me grow at Peach Payments.
What excites you most about working in the payments space?
It feels like a cliché, but the payments space is so dynamic, and there is always something new to learn and be challenged by.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower and superhero name be?
I never quite understood this kind of question: would it be based on what I would like as a power or one of my current traits that could come off as an obscure power? Perhaps Capt. Analysis Paralysis, judging by my approach to this question.
What new skill are you hoping to learn next?
I normally set myself a challenge, and by tackling that challenge, it enables me to identify and develop the necessary skill(s) along the way. So the next challenge in that case would perhaps be something home automation related.