Meet Noel McIntosh, UCT student graduate from the 60’s who is still giving back to UCT students, from across the oceans in Australia. In his eighties, Noel is still actively involved in giving time and funds to support students and the work of UCT.

Noel, whose 1930’s Depression era parents couldn’t afford to send him to university, was awarded a 4-year bursary to study engineering at UCT in 1960.  This critical financial support for his studies, significantly impacted his life and launched a successful career and fulfilling life, as well as motivating him to give back to others.   Here he tells the story of his student years at UCT, his successful career and why he gives back to UCT financially and by serving on the Australian board. 

Student years at UCT: 
Student life was exciting in many ways, but it was also the time of social upheaval and strict suppression of academic freedom in South Africa. The Sharpeville massacre occurred in my first year.  Some friends were jailed for demolishing power lines.  We were involved in protests on De Waal Drive, police action at Hiddingh Campus, support for the USA in the Cuban Nuclear Crisis and the birth of the Republic. Having been brought up by Bechuanaland parents who didn’t believe in racial separation, I was a student activist - it was natural for me to be involved in the fight against injustice and I found myself in trouble with the authorities.

SHAWCO was central to student enjoyment and responsibility and I was involved in RAG procession of floats, which we built on big trucks and then paraded through town to raise money.  This was followed by RAG Ball.  My memories of the importance of SHAWCO in providing for the underprivileged motivated me to support the indomitable Professor Jackie Stewart when she asked for help to lift SHAWCO out of its darkest financial time in the late 2010’s.

I’m driven to help young people achieve and enjoy a similar life to mine, which all started at UCT.  The bursary I received lifted me above the financial constraints of my parents and gave me exciting choices and a successful career.

Highlights of Noel’s Career:
Although I studied Mechanical Engineering, I have been in the computer software business my whole life.  
In 1965, I was selected by IBM’s new computer division to be trained as a business system engineer. Then two years later I joined Univac in Operations Research for 2 exciting years of our married life in London.  After that an IBM colleague and I, started our own computer services company when I was 28 years old. This business grew into a computer service bureau doing payroll and insurance administration.  We sold the company into a South African IPO float in 1987.

Move to Australia and developing new business ideas

In 1978, I took my young family and the insurance administration program we had developed, to Australia and settled there.  The business didn't work as we had misjudged the Australian factors which are different - the story of many migrants!  After closing the business (fortunately without any debts), I invested in a Solomon Island resort which ended up as a dinner party joke.

At the start of the Personal Computer age, in 1982, I foresaw the need for touch-typing skills across all professions and occupations.  It could be taught by the very keyboard itself, if a smart, engaging teaching program was available.  I studied the two historical teaching methods – books and class guidance.  The latest research using expensive mainframe computers revealed exciting interactive methods to teach this automatic movement skill in a fraction of the old time.  

My Typequick Keyboard PC training course was developed over two years and reduced the learning time to one third.  It grew into an exciting international business in eleven countries, in five languages.  It is still the most widely used course in the history of Australian vocational training.  As of 2024 it has trained over 6 million people around the world, including at UCT. Our Japanese language version had a 70% market share.  Finally, in 2001, we sold the Typequick business to an Australian company wishing to list an IPO to take advantage of the dotcom boom.  

Importance of Family
Family is really important to me. I met my wife, Donna, while we were working at IBM.  She has been my life partner, my business partner and mother to our four very active children. She completed a BSc in computer science after landing in Australia, as she believed she needed to set a good example to our children. She was the technical director of our TYPEQUICK business for 17 years, managing a team of highly capable programmers.

Philanthropic Heartbeat

Marjorie McIntosh Midwifery Foundation
Noel’s family set up the Marjorie McIntosh Midwifery Foundation to train eight midwives at UCT every year.  His family has travelled to South Africa to attend their graduation ceremonies wherever they can. He describes how in 2018 he tearfully listened to a daughter who had seen her mother study midwifery while her father cooked meat on corrugated iron in the township.  And that girl had just matriculated and is going to study medicine.

In 2022 Noel committed to financing SHAWCO’S Mums & Bubs clinics for five years

Noel discusses the urgent need for student funding

What is on the mind of the student walking up to varsity today? Hopefully they are thinking about their studies and assignments and not about how student fees will be paid or buying food for the next week. If financial support is needed, hopefully they get it and it will continue for future years, as there can be nothing more crushing than to learn that donations have stopped because of troubles overseas.

This image encourages me every time a donor questions the wisdom of a donation and is concerned about corruption in South Africa.  At UCT the money does get to supporting a deserving person, not a university. I encourage donors to think back to the advantages they received when they were at UCT. I can easily imagine the student’s joy and relief when they hear that they are being funded.  

Highlights of car adventures - a significant part of life:

 

Noel is a vintage car enthusiast who has embarked on some extraordinary trips across the globe in his vintage cars… Noel and his son William travelled half-way around the world in an 83-year-old 1913 Vauxhall car.  After a farewell picnic at Westminster Abbey in London, they drove their painstakingly restored Vauxhall through Siberia to Vladivostok and then on to Tokyo, camping along the way.  The same car was driven by Noel across  the USA when he was promoting TYPEQUICK for the Blind. 
  
Another adventure entailed driving my 1933 Rolls Royce 5000km around Japan promoting our Japanese keyboard course to our 350 university and college clients.

Paying in Forward

I’m driven to help young people achieve their dreams. My bursary lifted me above the difficult life of my parents, gave me exciting choices and a successful career.

Like many RSA migrants, we have taken our large family (of 22) back to see our South African heritage. They are fascinated by the young people and the lives they live.  Their memories of animals and the beauty of Cape Town remind them of the children they met and played football and often wonder if they are also going to school and university.  Now they want to help and ask if I can include them in our family’s estate plans.  

Many of my generation followed a similar path to their successful achievements in Australia. For them it feels good to be reaching back to make a difference in the lives of South African youth of today.  A small part of each donor’s estate, when multiplied by the exchange rate of 10, enables a student to complete a year’s study or a whole degree.

Your reputation and mine depends on the reputation of our university. We need to keep UCT’s reputation high, so that we have credibility.

Last words of encouragement to students:  Keep your goal in your mind and you will find a path to achieving it. 

Noel certainly is someone who has boldly pursued his own path, with an adventurous spirit and a desire to improve the lives of other, making his mark on the world around him and changing lives.  

Not one to be idle, I am now active in many projects and innovations outside of paid employment.  Some of the many initiatives and activities I am involved in are listed below:

•    Director and Trustee of UCT Australian Trust 2019 - 2024
•    Pinchgut Opera Ambassador for a new Sydney opera company  and supporter for past 15 years.
•    Served on Scouting and Car club committees.
•    I am an inventor who sometimes sees opportunities to help and solve problems. I founded and ran “Tools 4 Tsunami”, an Australia wide project which collected 4 containers of hand tools for the 2005 survivors in Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Malaysia

Footnote:
 Noel McIntosh’s contribution to the UCT Australian Trust as a Director and benefactor

•    I researched and then implemented a donation collection platform, GiveNow, which was integrated into the UCT Australia website with the help of Lenore Plumer.
•    I introduced the Ambassador concept to encourage alumni to contribute their skills and enthusiasm
•    I led an alumni team to clarify and define the Australia UCT Trust Brand and public image.  The aim behind this was to raise funds for scholarships and student led programmes.
•    Liaison with SHAWCO which led to Australia becoming their largest financial supporter in 2022/3
•    Been involved in Discussions and initiatives with DAD since 2013
•    I was involved with the 2022 Annual Appeal design and launch and in 2023 calling alumni for donations.
•    I am currently leading the new Doctor’s Decade project I devised to be launched in 2024.

As the sun sets today in sunny Sydney, I reflect on my exciting life and the fabulous contribution my four children are making to society.  This journey all started with a bursary to study at UCT.  

To read more about TYPEQUICK, click here