karl
alexander
I like to build things. I follow my curiosity and build things that I think are interesting. I like to build things that help people. I'm a software engineer with a passion for understanding how things work and making them better. I have a deep passion for taking complex ideas and making them simple to understand.
Web Development
Building responsive and user-friendly web apps using technologies like React, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS to enhance performance, maintainability, and user experience.
Data Science
Utilising cloud platforms and advanced frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch to analyse large data sets, build machine learning models, and derive actionable insights that support strategic decision-making.
Strategy & Operations
Advising clients on strategy and operational efficiency to drive sustainable growth and optimise business performance.
Tech Due Diligence
Assisting clients in navigating carve-out complexities in M&A transactions to ensure a smooth technology transition while maximising asset value.
South African Government Dashboard
Developed a dashboard tool using a custom API scraper to visualise macroeconomic factors of the South African economy, including interest rates, GDP, unemployment, and exchange rates.
Tenders Dashboard
Built a South African Government Tenders Database that aggregates and displays both active and awarded government tenders and allows users to browse, filter, and visualise tender data across categories, departments, provinces, and other criteria.
Financial Growth Calculator
Developed a React application that visualises the impact of compounded monthly investments. The app dynamically calculates and displays the final balance, total contributions, and earnings making it easier for users to plan and understand their financial growth over time.
Seasonal Colour Analysis Tool
Developed an interactive Next.js application that uses TensorFlow computer vision libraries to detect facial landmarks and analyse colour data. Integrated with OpenAI’s API to deliver personalised styling recommendations based on facial features and individual preferences.
CGT Optimisation Tool
Built a custom tool to optimise the utilisation of South Africa’s annual Capital Gains Tax exclusion. Implemented algorithms that rank shares by capital gain per transaction in order to maximise tax-free profit.
Multilingual Video Translation Bot
Developed a bot utilising the Azure Language Service SDK speech-to-text and translation capabilities to ingest and translate foreign-language videos into English. Built a simple client-facing app using vanilla JS and Node.js.
LLM Chatbot for University Students
Built a chatbot using LangChain and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to assist in navigating course offerings across multiple faculties. The chatbot provides real-time responses about course details, prerequisites, and academic programs.
| Experience | |
|---|---|
M&A Transaction ServicesPwC | 2023.01 - present Qualified CA(SA) and manager in the M&A Transaction Services team, with expertise in financial analysis, tech due diligence, data-driven decision-making, and start-up team development. Leveraged Alteryx, PowerBI, Python, and Google Apps Script as part of my role in financial & tech due diligence engagements. | |
Audit AssurancePwC | 2020.01 - 2022.12 Senior Associate with three years of experience in renewable energy, FinTech, FMCG, and manufacturing. | |
| Education | |
PGDA (Honours in Chartered Accounting)UCT | 2018 - 2019 NQF Level 8 | GPA: 71% | |
Bachelor of Business Science Finance and AccountingUCT | 2015 - 2018 NQF Level 7 | GPA: 75% | UCT Commerce Faculty scholarship | Dean's Merit List | Golden Key | |
IEBClifton College | 2010-2014 NQF Level 4 | GPA: 86% | Math (94%) | AP Math (84%) | Physics (85%) | Dramatic Arts (87%) | English (86%) | |
| Certifications | |
Machine Learning SpecialisationIBM | Supervised ML | Regression & Classification | 2023 Trained and tested widely used supervised learning algorithms—including linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, support vector machines, and ensemble methods—while learning data preprocessing, regularisation, hyperparameter tuning, machine learning pipelines, and the bias-variance tradeoff. | |
Azure AI Engineer AssociateMicrosoft | 2024 Hands-on experience leveraging Azure AI services such as Azure Machine Learning, Cognitive Services, Vision, Document Intelligence, Language Services, and App Services. Proficient in using Azure’s cloud-based tools to build and scale AI solutions for business needs. | |
Mathematics for Machine Learning and Data Science SpecialisationDeepLearning.ai | 2025 Studied the fundamentals of machine learning mathematics, including calculus, linear algebra, statistics, and probability. Implemented optimisation algorithms like gradient descent from scratch. Learned advanced techniques like Newton’s method and the Hessian matrix. Applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction and feature extraction. Gained practical knowledge of these concepts to improve machine learning model performance. | |
AWS Cloud FundamentalsAmazon | 2024 | |
Azure AI FundamentalsMicrosoft | 2024 | |
Machine Learning SpecialisationDeepLearning.ai | in-progress | |
| Skills | |
Backend FrameworksFlask, Node.js, Express, AWS Amplify Proficient in designing robust backend systems using frameworks with a focus on scalability, performance, and maintainability. | |
Frontend FrameworksReact, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, CSS, HTML, Vite, UI/UX design principles. Skilled in building responsive and user-friendly web applications. | |
DatabasesMongoDB, MySQL Workbench, Dynamo DB, ORM Experienced in designing, implementing, and managing databases for efficient data storage and retrieval. | |
Cloud & HostingVercel, Cloudflare, Sanity | |
ToolsGit, GitHub, Jupyter Notebooks, CodeSandbox, Alteryx, Cursor, VS Code, Replit, Tabnine | |
APIsGraphQL, REST | |
ChatbotsChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, v0 | |
Other ToolsFigma, Notion, Canva, Zapier | |
