Backend Engineer · Johannesburg

Dalton Motene.

Building resilient, event-driven systems with Java & Spring Boot. HND Software Engineering candidate at WeThinkCode_ — turning distributed complexity into clean, observable microservices.

0
Projects shipped
NQF 6
HND in progress
0
Engineering focus
What I work with

Technical Skills

A backend-first toolbox, built through real projects and a structured, self-directed roadmap.

Core Stack
Java & Spring Boot 90%
REST API Design 88%
PostgreSQL 80%
Apache ActiveMQ / Messaging 75%
DevOps & Cloud
Docker & CI/CD 78%
AWS (foundational) 60%
All Technologies
Java Spring Boot Microservices REST APIs PostgreSQL Apache ActiveMQ Redis RabbitMQ Docker GitHub Actions AWS Python Flask C# / .NET Core JavaScript Maven Prometheus Grafana Twilio Africa's Talking JUnit SQL
What I've built

Projects

Real systems covering event-driven architecture, distributed services, and practical problem-solving.

🌤️
Weather Buddy
Eight-sprint capstone: weather aggregation and SMS notification service with Redis caching, RabbitMQ async processing, Prometheus metrics, and full Docker + CI/CD pipeline from day one.
Spring Boot PostgreSQL Redis RabbitMQ Docker Prometheus Twilio
🛡️
ShieldNumber
Proxy phone number app for personal safety. Real contact details stay private — a masked number handles all inbound calls and messages. Built on Spring Boot with Africa's Talking integration.
Spring Boot Africa's Talking Twilio PostgreSQL
🤖
AI Interview Prep
Role-aware interview preparation platform. Spring Boot orchestrates a Python/Flask ML microservice for AI-generated questions and structured feedback loops. Portfolio project targeting engineering employers.
Spring Boot Python Flask Microservices REST
Where I've been

Experience

Learning and contributing at the same time.

2024 – Present
Peer Tutor
WeThinkCode_ · Johannesburg
Support cohort students across core curriculum modules — DSA, Java OOP, system design, and Spring Boot project work. Run structured review sessions, produce annotated session notes, and compile submission evidence for KwantuGo log reviews.
Java DSA Mentoring Technical Writing
2023 – Present
Software Engineering Student — HND (NQF Level 6)
WeThinkCode_ · Johannesburg
Full-time immersive engineering programme. Delivered production-style projects covering microservices architecture, event-driven systems, REST API design, containerisation, and CI/CD. Active hackathon competitor — Gradhack 2026 finalist (Discovery Health).
Spring Boot Microservices Docker CI/CD Gradhack 2026
Let's work together

Open to
opportunities

Looking for graduate, learnership, and junior backend engineering roles in Johannesburg and beyond. I build fast, learn faster.

daltonmotene@gmail.com