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Full-Stack Software Engineer from Johannesburg. Four years shipping production web, mobile, and cloud apps in React, TypeScript, and AWS. Claude Code in the daily workflow; Anthropic tool-use API on my Lurio side project.

ReactTypeScriptNext.jsReact NativeAWSClaude CodeClaude APIPythonSvelte
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About

Engineer who ships,
not just codes.

I build production web and mobile applications, with a particular strength in translating Figma into polished, accessible interfaces. My experience spans the full delivery lifecycle — design, engineering, AWS deployment with Infrastructure as Code (Pulumi), and production monitoring with ECS and CloudWatch. Currently at FARO I work on React/TypeScript front-ends, Python back-ends, ERPNext integrations, and internal tools — with Claude Code as a primary development tool in an AI-native workflow. My hands-on AI-product experience — Anthropic's tool-use API in a real production surface — lives in Lurio, my property SaaS side project. I also run Fade To (music platform) and Camberly (car research platform, live at camberly.co.za). Currently preparing for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification.

Frontend Engineering

React, Next.js, React Native, Svelte, TypeScript. Figma-to-code with a designer's eye for detail.

AWS Cloud

ECS, S3, CloudWatch, IAM. Infrastructure as Code with Pulumi. Currently prepping SAA-C03.

AI Integration

Anthropic tool-use API on my Lurio side project — vision, structured decisions, per-call cost tracing. Claude Code as a primary dev tool at FARO.

Full-Stack Delivery

Own the full lifecycle from Figma through AWS deployment and CloudWatch monitoring.

What I work with

Six categories, four years deep

Languages

TypeScriptJavaScript (ES6+)PythonHTML5CSS3

Frontend

ReactNext.jsReact NativeSvelteTailwind CSSViteZustand

Backend & APIs

Node.jsExpressREST APIsERPNext integrationZodDrizzle ORM

Cloud & Infra

AWS (ECS, S3, CloudWatch, IAM)Pulumi (IaC)VercelRailwayDockerGCP

AI & Automation

Claude APIClaude CodeGemini PR reviewPrompt engineeringTool-use / agents

Tooling

GitGitHubJiraFigmaBugsnagCI/CDRetoolElectronXSS & CSRF prevention

Selected work

Three products
I'm building.

Real products with real users. Each card links to a deep case study — and straight to the live site.

Camberly
Live

Car buyer's research platform for South Africa

Lifestyle-based discovery, feature-ladder comparison across up to 5 cars, SA-specific calculators using live DoE fuel prices and prime rate, and a paid Pro tier targeting enthusiasts and creators.

Next.js 16React 19TypeScriptExpress+7
Case studycamberly.co.za
Lurio
In development

Property management SaaS with Claude-powered inspection agents

Multi-tenant property platform for SA landlords. WhatsApp-first tenant experience, web dashboard, and production Claude agents doing vision-based inspection review, listing generation, and move-in vs move-out comparison — with per-call cost tracing.

Next.js 14TypeScriptExpressDrizzle ORM+5
Case studylurio.co.za
Fade To
In development

Curator-first music platform with in-browser mixing

Weekly mixtape-shape Drops and curated Scenes on top of Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. In-browser mixing engine with Camelot harmonic key matching and equal-power crossfade over the YouTube IFrame API. Three-layer architecture designed for swappable AI engines.

Next.jsTypeScriptReact Three FiberYouTube IFrame API+4
Case studyfadeto.co.za

Experience

Four years,
five companies.

Quantified wins where they exist. Not filler — real work I'd be happy to talk through in an interview.

Aug 2025 – PresentNow

Product Engineer

FARO · Cape Town, South Africa · Remote

  • Develop scalable, polished front-end applications using React and TypeScript, owning delivery end-to-end from first sketch through to AWS deployment and production monitoring (ECS, CloudWatch).
  • Build and maintain Python APIs, integrate ERPNext with internal systems, and own an internet-based label and barcode printing system developed using Electron and Python — improving print efficiency across warehouse and store locations.
  • Maintain and extend Retool-based internal tools, supporting store and warehouse operations and serving as daily technical point of contact for frontline staff.
  • Write unit and integration tests for Python backend logic to ensure reliability of critical API endpoints in production.
  • Provision and manage application environments using Pulumi (Infrastructure as Code) and use Claude Code as a primary development tool in an AI-native engineering workflow.
ReactTypeScriptPythonAWSECSCloudWatchPulumiERPNextElectronRetoolClaude Code
Jul 2024 – Jul 2025

Front-End Software Engineer

Zulzi · Johannesburg, South Africa · Remote

  • Reduced Google Maps API usage costs by ~34% through strategic optimization of API calls and intelligent data caching, improving both performance and budget efficiency.
  • Led deployment of mobile applications to iOS, Android, and Huawei app stores, ensuring smooth releases and timely updates across platforms.
  • Developed responsive, high-performance user interfaces in Svelte and React Native, translating Figma designs into production-ready mobile and web components.
  • Facilitated onboarding and upskilling of new developers, training 2+ team members on Zulzi's frontend ecosystem, business logic, and deployment processes.
  • Improved code quality and team alignment through thorough front-end code reviews and consistent architectural patterns.
SvelteReact NativeTypeScriptGoogle Maps APIiOSAndroidHuawei
Nov 2023 – Jul 2024

Intermediate Full-Stack Developer

Pineapple · Johannesburg, South Africa · Hybrid

  • Built and maintained REST APIs integrated with AWS services such as S3, enabling seamless data flow for core features across web and mobile applications.
  • Set up and contributed to an A/B testing framework to evaluate user engagement with new UI features, providing data-driven insights for product decisions.
  • Automated a previously manual lead-gathering process for a third-party partner, improving efficiency and reducing operational overhead.
ReactTypeScriptAWS S3REST APIs
Dec 2022 – Oct 2023

Intermediate Front-End Developer

Jem HR · Johannesburg, South Africa · Remote

  • Strengthened application security by implementing best practices to prevent XSS and CSRF attacks, safeguarding user data and platform trustworthiness.
  • Led implementation of Flatfile, a data onboarding tool that streamlines and validates spreadsheet imports, reducing manual data cleanup and support queries.
  • Maintained and enhanced core features using React and TypeScript, resolving critical bugs and delivering functionality that improved stability and user satisfaction.
ReactTypeScriptFlatfileXSS/CSRF hardening
Feb 2022 – Nov 2022

Graduate Software Engineer

Scrums.com · Johannesburg, South Africa · Hybrid

  • Translated Figma designs into pixel-perfect, accessible web interfaces using reusable, data-driven React components.
  • Enhanced application performance and maintainability by refactoring codebases with clean-code principles such as DRY.
  • Communicated technical progress and challenges to clients of varying technical expertise, fostering strong collaboration throughout project lifecycles.
ReactTypeScriptFigma-to-code

Certifications

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)

In Progress · Expected 2026

Education

Tshwane University of Technology

National Diploma, Software Engineering · Graduated October 2022

Currently

Working front-end + Python at FARO with Claude Code, building Claude tool-use agents on Lurio, and preparing for AWS SAA-C03.

Contact

Let's build
something.

Whether it's a role, a contract, or a curator collaboration — I read every message myself. I'll get back within a business day.

Email

mothapo.thapelor@gmail.com

LinkedIn

/in/thapelo-mothapo

GitHub

@thapelo-mothapo

Looking for my CV? — I'll send it through personally.

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