Murendeni Thovhakale — Cybersecurity
Automation & Digital
Transformation
Architecting security automation across identity, access, and complianceCompanies I have worked with
Career Highlights
Impact you can measure.
- 01
80%
Reduction in authentication-related operational effort at SARB
- 02
8,000+
Windows Servers migrated to Azure Arc
- 03
69% → 95%
Enterprise patch compliance improvement
- 04
1,000+
Service accounts under automated lifecycle governance
- 05
ZAR 1.2M
Annual savings from cloud migration
- 06
2022
ABSA Grand-Prize Kudos Award winner
- 07
90%
GIBS Digital Transformation and Innovation Certificate
Profile
The automation layer between platforms and people.
Cybersecurity Automation and Digital Transformation Specialist with 15+ years of experience architecting and implementing automation solutions across cybersecurity, identity governance, and enterprise IT operations.
I build the automation layer that sits between enterprise security platforms — SailPoint, Silverfort, BeyondTrust PAM, Microsoft Entra ID — and the people who have to act on what those platforms report. That means low-code/no-code delivery (Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft Fabric) paired with scripting and API integration (PowerShell, REST APIs) to turn manual, error-prone security operations into governed, self-service workflows.
Currently at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), where I lead security automation transformation across identity orchestration, service-account lifecycle management, and enterprise risk reporting. Previously at ABSA, where I led the Azure Arc migration of 8,000+ Windows servers and lifted patch compliance from 69% to 95% — work recognised with ABSA's 2022 Grand-Prize Kudos Award.
I'm also mid-way through a Master of Computing at Tshwane University of Technology, researching an explainable AI decision-intelligence architecture for enterprise cyber risk — commercialised as Clarus — and I'm a Candidate Engineering Technologist (Computer) registered with ECSA.
Key Achievements
What I've shipped.
- 01
Architected an enterprise security automation platform at SARB integrating SailPoint, Microsoft Entra ID, Silverfort, and BeyondTrust PAM — reducing authentication-related operational effort by 80%.
- 02
Automated conversion of an Active Directory security assessment into a governed Azure DevOps backlog via a resumable REST API importer with validate/dry-run/rollback modes.
- 03
Built an Azure Arc patch-compliance pipeline into Microsoft Fabric (Resource Graph → Lakehouse), designing a 6-table history-preserving data model and root-causing a silent data-duplication defect.
- 04
Delivered an AD service-account recertification control (PowerShell, SharePoint, Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI) with idempotent sync and auto-disable; caught 4 release-blocking defects during formal spec review.
- 05
Built a Power Apps/Power Automate workflow automating service-account compliance monitoring and password lifecycle across 1,000+ accounts.
- 06
Built a Power BI security visibility dashboard consolidating telemetry from Active Directory, Tenable, Silverfort, and BeyondTrust for executive risk reporting.
- 07
Improved enterprise patch compliance from 69% to 95% at ABSA through automation and risk-based governance across 8,000+ Windows servers.
- 08
Received the ABSA 2022 Grand-Prize Kudos Award for outstanding contributions to enterprise patching, compliance, and modernisation (recognition trip to Mauritius).
- 09
Led ISS Africa's full cloud migration to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, saving ZAR 1.2 million annually.
- 10
Completed the GIBS Digital Transformation and Innovation Certificate with a 90% grade.
Explore
More on how I got here and what I build.
01
My Story
From a rural Limpopo village to national-scale cybersecurity — the path that shaped how I work.
Read my story
02
Career
15+ years across enterprise IT and security, from onsite support to leading security automation at the Reserve Bank.
View career journey
03
Projects
Featured work — Clarus, the SARB identity and access automation platform, and the CSO visibility dashboard.
View projects
04
Education
A Master's in progress, 20+ certifications, ECSA registration, and six disciplines of hands-on skill.
View education
05
Journal
Notes on security, GRC, and the milestones along the way.
Read the journal
“Security platforms report. People have to act. I build the governed automation that closes the gap between the two.”
Contact
Let's talk automation, security, or transformation.
Open to conversations on security automation, digital transformation leadership, and GRC-driven engineering. Reach out directly or connect on LinkedIn.