At the AgriSciences graduation ceremony held last Thursday, 12 December, we celebrated not only the culmination of academic journeys but also the remarkable achievements of our top-performing students. These individuals have excelled in their respective fields, earning medals for their outstanding academic performance.

Prof AI Perold Silver Medal
Awarded annually to the top final-year BScAgric student who completed their degree with distinction, this prestigious medal goes to Willem Daniël van der Merwe, who achieved an impressive average of 77.50% over four years in Animal Science.

Prof PA van der Bijl Silver Medal
This medal honours the top final-year BScAgric student who also completed their degree with distinction. Congratulations to Abigail Herbst, who achieved an outstanding average of 76.60% over four years in Animal Science.

Sir William Schlich Gold Medal
Awarded by the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, this medal recognizes the top BSc Forestry graduate. This year’s recipient is Anneke Joubert, who achieved an exceptional average of 79% over four years in Forestry and Natural Resources.

Sir William Schlich Silver Medal
Also awarded by the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, this medal honours the second top BSc Forestry graduate. Congratulations to Nathan John Doyle, who achieved an excellent average of 75.80% over four years in Forestry and Natural Resources.

Farmer’s Weekly Eckart Kassier Medal
This medal recognizes the best final-year BAgric (Agri-Business Management) student. This year, the award goes to Liesje RonéEigenhuis, who achieved a remarkable average of 74.60% over three years.

We are incredibly proud of these students for their hard work and dedication, and we wish them continued success in their future endeavours. Well done to all our graduates!

Stellenbosch University boasts the oldest Agricultural Economics Department in South Africa. The Department was established in 1925 with Prof J.F.W. Grosskopf as the first Chair. Since then, the Department has graduated just over 2 000 students with bachelor’s degrees, the first awarded in 1926, and about 400 students with postgraduate degrees, the first awarded in 1930.Some of our era’s best agricultural economists have helped shape the Department and Agricultural Economics discipline over the past century, including Profs F.R. Tomlinson, W.E. Kassier, P.H. Spies, N. Vink, M. Karaan, and T. E. Kleynhans.

The evolution of the Agricultural Economics discipline in South Africa has its roots in the contributions of Prof Tomlinson, particularly on the interplay between macro-and microeconomic analysis in understanding and solving economic dilemmas in the agricultural industry. A strong foundation that we as a department are building when we develop the next generation of leaders in the agricultural sector to face the challenges of tomorrow.

Some of the key strategic actions we have taken to prepare ourselves for the responsibility of developing our future leaders are a re-evaluation of our curriculum, the memorandum of understanding with the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), the appointment of industry partners as research fellows in the Department, the inauguration of the Stellenbosch AgroInformatics Initiative at our Department, and the establishment of a formal postgraduate committee to represent our Department’s postgraduate students, and foster connections with our industry network.

The Department’s centenary is as much a celebration of the achievements of our alumni and industry partners as it is of our own legacy. Together, we have made a lasting impact, and together, we can shape a sustainable future for agriculture. We warmly invite our alumni, colleagues, and public and private sector partners to join us throughout 2025 as we commemorate this historic occasion under the theme 100 Years of Empowering Agriculture through Economics.

Your continued support ensures that the next chapter of our journey is as impactful as the last. Let’s celebrate this centenary together!

Author: Prof André Jooste (Chair: Agricultural Economics)

SU Library has a wonderful collection of leisure reading books that you can have a look at for your December / January reading. Whether you want a good murder mystery, travel the fantasy lands, delve into true crime or want a thought provoking reflective novel – you can find them on our leisure reading shelves as you come into the library. For younger readers – do consult our comics collection or visit the Education library for children’s books.

If you prefer online reading (and also for our alumni / externals that don’t have access to our collections), you can sign up for the Libby app through your local library. Libby contains access to great leisure books and magazines. You can find out more about Libby here: https://westerncape.overdrive.com/

Heléne Booyens (Conservation Ecology class of 2014) wrote and published the first title in a series of nature books for children this year. Book one is about mammals, and came out in English and Afrikaans. Mammal Safari is a fact-and- activity book, with games, puzzles, mazes and brainteasers, as well as interesting stories about more than 70 mammal species – from the giraffe to the little elephant shrew. Heléne says:

Where did the concept come from?

I studied conservation ecology as an undergraduate, and still remember how a lecturer once gave us a quiz: How many antelope species can you identify? Gemsbok, Kudu, Sable. . . Those were still easy. But how many duikers do you know? Which is the nyala and which the bushbuck? Even a group of ecology students struggled! At school and as a child, you learn more about large, famous animals, such as the Big Five. So, I wanted to do a children’s book that shows off all South Africa’s mammals – including the lesser known ones, such as the bushpig, reedbuck and our hordes of different mongooses.

Which mongoose is your favorite?

Definitely the dwarf mongoose, Africa’s smallest hunter. Full of personality and plans.

How long does such a project take?

It was almost a year’s work, but only part-time. (I work full-time at Struik Nature, where I work on field guides, such as Spiders of South Africa and Proteas of the Fynbos.) Photo research took the longest, because you are looking for nice action-packed pics that show interesting behavior: zebra stallions fighting, mother lions carefully carrying cubs around, elephants snorkeling in the water. .

What comes first, the pictures or the words?

For me, the pictures. I am also a layout artist, and first designed the book and laid it out with dummy text before I filled in the text boxes. I kept a species list of African mammals handy to make sure that every animal got its chance in the
spotlight – even the moles and rats.

What’s next?

Birds are next in the Safari book series, then reptiles. I’ve also just published two story books at LAPA, about Jorsie die Worsie, a dachshund who solves mysteries.

From 13 to 18 November 2024, the Department of Agricultural Economics in the AgriSciences Faculty at Stellenbosch University hosted a delegation of 29 leaders from prominent Brazilian agribusiness companies. This visit was part of a comprehensive program to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between South Africa and Brazil.

The intensive 32-hour seminar series on “Innovation, Sustainability, and Competitiveness in Agriculture” was scientifically and technically coordinated by Markestrat Agribusiness (led by Prof Marcos Fava Neves) and Stellenbosch University (Prof André Jooste and Drs Melissa van der Merwe and Albert Strever). Delegates participated in lectures, debates, and field visits across government agencies, universities, research institutes and agribusinesses.

On 13 and 14 November, the program featured visits to key agricultural hubs in KwaZulu Natal, including the Sugar Terminal at the Durban port, the South African Sugar Association, the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI), and one of the sugar cane farmers of the South African Cane Growers Association.

On 15 and 18 November, the delegates participated in the short seminar series hosted by Stellenbosch University. The program addressed critical topics such as technological advancements, artificial intelligence in agriculture, and the intersection of sustainability and competitiveness. Key industry leaders such as Prof Marius Ungerer (SU Business School), Dr Ilse Trautmann (WCDoA), Dr Dirk Troskie (WCDoA), Sibusisiwe Maseko (GreenCape), Kobus Pienaar (Woolworths), Dr Doris Viljoen (SU Business School), Sean Walsh (KAL Group), André Diederichs (André Diederichs and Associates), Prof Johan van Rooyen (SU), and Dr Albert Strever (SU).

Being in the winelands, the delegates also engaged with innovation in the wine and beverage industry with a visit to the House of J.C. Le Roux, where Caroline Snyman (Heineken Beverages) led the discussion around innovation.  The delegates also attended a masterclass in Pinotage led by Beyers Truter and Abrie Beeslaar at Somerbosch Wine Estate followed by a traditional “skaapbraai”.

This visit highlighted the vital role of networks in agriculture. While discussions focused on the impact of innovation, technology and AI, the week served as a powerful reminder that, at its heart, agriculture is about people—sharing existing knowledge and generating new insights through collaboration. The Department of Agricultural Economics is proud to have been part of this meaningful exchange and looks forward to future partnerships that strengthen the ties between South Africa and Brazil.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Prof Marcos Fava Neves and Markestrat for selecting Stellenbosch University as a key partner in this initiative. We also thank the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the South African Sugar Association for hosting us for parts of the program, as well as the South African Cane Growers Association who assisted in organising the itinerary while visiting KwaZulu-Natal. 

H₂^NutriO™

The 7^th of November saw the conclusion of the Catalyst 2024 grand finale, a biotechnology pitch competition which was hosted by UVU Bio and the sector disrupting start-up Immobazyme, whose early incubation and acceleration occurred at the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB). The esteemed panel of judges Santosh Ramchuran (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR), Sandra Clelland (Von Seidels), Daniel Strauss (Stocks and Strauss), DheepakMaharajh (CEO, UVU Bio), Dominic Nicholas (CEO, Immobazyme) had their proverbial “hands full” with the innovative ideas pitched by the 7 finalists.

While the competition was fierce, there was such impressive talent showcased that the judging panel created an impromptu runner-up prize for the outstanding Meghan Oosthuizen from H₂^NutriO™, who was awarded three months at the UVU Bio Labs and an amazing opportunity to work toward a scale-up project with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Meghan is a MSc. candidate at the Institute for Plant Biotechnology and, represents the first structured project offered by the innovation hub of the IPB. Working together with Drs. BiankeLoedolff and Jeannine Marais (Department of Food Science) – the challenge is to focus the MSc. study into venture which develops a quick-to-market relevant product while assisting in developing real-world graduate attributes in business. Bianke is an essential pivot to the innovation hub, in her capacity as both an embedded extraordinary appointment and the founder and CEO of Biosupport.

Congratulations to the team for representing us with such distinction at Catalyst 2024 and, a special thanks to both UVU Bio and Immobazyme for stimulating the emergent Biotechnology ecosystem in the Western Cape and beyond.

The 50th-anniversary celebration of the international management assistants (IMA) in Stockholm, Sweden which was held from 17 – 20 October marked a significant milestone in the exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in shaping lives and professions. Staff members attending the conference found it to be an enlightening experience, highlighting AI as a tool for growth and innovation rather than a source of fear.

The conference showcased how AI is increasingly integrated into daily routines, simplifying tasks and boosting efficiency. While concerns about AI’s dominance persist, the event emphasised its adaptability and potential when used thoughtfully.

Renowned thought leaders such as Marvin Minsky and Geoffrey Hinton shared insights into AI’s history and evolution, tracing its journey from early stagnation to its current robust growth. Their reflections underscored the perseverance and creativity that have driven AI’s remarkable advancements.

The benefits of AI were prominently featured, from its contributions to medical breakthroughs to its ability to support individuals with disabilities. One inspiring example was a blind runner who successfully completed a marathon with the assistance of AI-driven camera technology. Innovations like LinkedIn’s further illustrate how AI is transforming information access and analysis.

Ethical challenges surrounding AI also formed a critical part of the discussions. Speakers emphasised the importance of fostering trust, fairness, and security in AI innovation. As society embraces this technology, ensuring its ethical and equitable use remains a top priority.

This conference provided valuable tools and insights to prepare attendees for an AI-driven future. It highlighted AI’s potential to drive personal and professional growth, empowering individuals to engage confidently with this transformative technology.

As IMA commemorates five decades of progress, the event not only celebrated past achievements but also envisioned future possibilities. The conference served as a call to action, inspiring attendees to continue exploring AI’s potential to enhance lives and create positive change.

Article supplied by Gretchen Bickerstaff

How can the use of Africa’s rich wildlife resources contribute to conservation and effectively support livelihoods and economic development? From the 4th to 6 th of November 2024, a diverse group of researchers, experts, government officials, business leaders, and students came together in Stellenbosch, South Africa, to answer this overarching and yet pertinent question at the inaugural African Wildlife Economy Colloquium. The event was hosted by the African Wildlife Economy Institute in partnership with the Southern African Wildlife College; the Center for Conservation Social Sciences, Cornell University; the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford; Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation; ShareScreen Africa; the Brettschneider Cornell Oxford Exchange Fund; and Jamma Conservation & Communities.

The Colloquium speakers and attendees came from across the African continent and beyond. Overall, 17 countries were represented with 12 from Africa. A total of 281 people attended with 165 attendees participating online, while 64 attendees joined in person. The event featured 52 speakers sharing their insights and contributing to the event's series of thematic panel discussions.

Conservation and Economics

A prominent theme throughout the Colloquium was the opportunity of aligning conservation efforts with economic considerations. Speakers emphasised that for wildlife to thrive, policies must support both biodiversity conservation and economic growth. This alignment is crucial, notably in sectors like wildlife ranching, where economic pressures undermine conservation goals or in protected areas where conservation pressure might undermine economic growth.

The discussions highlighted the importance of creating policies that not only incentivise conservation but also make it financially viable for landowners and communities to engage in sustainable wildlife management. This was also highlighted on the presentation by Khorommbi Matibeo of the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment who emphasised that, “the Department’s current policies such as Game Meat Strategy and National Biodiversity Economy Strategy places more emphasis on an inclusive economy that seeks to deliver sustainable, and equitable opportunities for local communities”. This approach aligns with the Global Biodiversity Framework and with regional commitments such as SADC’s Wildlife-based Economy Strategy Framework. Adam Cruise from, Endangered Wildlife Investigations however,
cautioned that sustainable use of wildlife, should be mindful of what he called “the curse of commercialising nature” leading to overexploitation of wild species.

Financing and Investing in Wildlife Enterprises

It was clear from the Colloquium throughout the three days that the success and sustainability of wildlife economies depend on how we invest and finance wildlife enterprises. Industry players highlighted that the first line of defence to wildlife business financing is to trade and make a return. This includes being innovative in the product portfolio offering as well as assuring consumers that their products are safe and managed sustainably. Other financing models discussed included carbon credits schemes that link with wildlife habitat as pointed out by Mike Musgrave from ALU’s School of Wildlife Conservation. Another innovative approach to building and growing wildlife enterprise was the donation of game to emerging game ranchers by SANParks as reported by Klarine Schutte, an AWEI graduate student The discussions highlighted an increasing need to come up with innovative financing models and incentives for the sustainable use of Africa’s rich biodiversity resources.

Certification for Sustainability

The importance of standards certification systems in promoting sustainable use practices was a recurring theme. Presenters discussed how third-party certification can enhance the credibility of wildlife products – from game meat to wild plant ingredients. Deborah Vorhies from the FairWild Foundation, said “sustainability standards should not only focus on harvesting practices, but they should be streamlined across the value chains including the fair treatment of all actors involved in the entire value chain”. These systems not only assure
consumers of the sustainability of their purchases but also encourage producers to adhere to best practices, creating a market for ethically sourced wildlife products.

Emerging Opportunities in Wildlife Trade
The Colloquium highlighted emerging opportunities within wildlife economies, particularly in the realms of game meat markets and even the overlooked thriving insect trade. The wildlife economy encompasses more than ecotourism, hunting or game meat. There over 30 insects that are wild harvested for food and traded amongst communities and across Africa, Biandri Joubert, a postdoc at the University of the Witwatersrand asked a critical question which needs further investigation. “Does the law understand insects?” This stimulates discussion on the potential for formally recognising informal wild species uses that contribute significantly to local economies, intra-Africa trade, and food security. Careful management and regulation need to ensure that these enterprises prosper and do not compromise biodiversity.

Ethical and Health Considerations in Wildlife Management
There was critical examination of ethical considerations surrounding hunting and wildlife use. Contextualising the ethics of hunting in the African context needs to take into consideration what hunting means to the African communities who have hunted for many thousands of years. As part of addressing ethical concerns, local people, are currently excluded and commonly labelled as poachers for pursing their hunting ambitions. The conversations also emphasised the need for equitable distribution of benefits derived from hunting tourism, addressing concerns about fairness and sustainability. These ethical considerations are vital for fostering community support for conservation initiatives and should ensure that previously excluded and dispossessed people are part of hunting and have access to the wild resources on their lands.

Linked to ethics and sustainability, was the health and food safety of wild harvested products. For instance, Lydia Bhebhe, an AWEI postgraduate, noted that “there is a need for integration of human, animal, and environmental health through the lenses of the One Health principles. Participants stressed that success of wildlife enterprises depend on the interconnectedness of health considerations. These sentiments were also echoed by Qudra Kagemba, from TRAFFIC who is focusing on how to reduce zoonotic disease and sustainability risks in Tanzania game meat industry by developing a one health approach to value chain management. By adopting a holistic perspective, we can develop wildlife economy strategies that promote not only conservation and enterprise, but also ethical practices and health communities.

Promising Pathways
The African Wildlife Economy Colloquium showcased a rich diversity of ideas, insights, and discussions from practitioners and researchers showing the interconnectedness of complex issues relating to sustainable use of wild species and the governance of of Africa’s wildlife economy. Several promising pathways – enabling policies and laws, voluntary standards and certification, development of wild meat value chains, development of ethical wildlife enterprises, and innovative financing models – emerged from the discussions. For all the participants, perhaps the most important takeaway was the recognition that Africa’s wildlife economy is a highly complex system, and we need to bring multiple disciplines and stakeholders together to address identify opportunities for moving forward.

Article supplied by: Klarine Schutte & Lydia Bhebhe

The 7th edition of the Finance and Farm Management textbook, often called the industry’s “blue bible” of farm management, continues to be a cornerstone in agricultural education. Supported by Standard Bank, which has a long-standing commitment to agricultural education, the book plays a pivotal role in preparing students and emerging farmers for the complexities of modern agriculture. The latest edition of the book, edited by Prof. André Louw and Dr Mariette Geyser (North-West University), features key contributions from Stellenbosch University academics Dr Willem Hoffmann, Prof Jooste, and Dr Melissa van der Merwe.

More specifically, Dr Hoffmann and Prof Jooste wrote two new chapters namely “Project management within the farming business” and “Legislation in the South African context” respectively. Prof Jooste also contributed to the updating of “Agricultural finance and macroeconomic variables” and “Entering African and other international markets”. Dr van der Merwe was responsible for updating “Understanding Value and Supply Chains in Agriculture” and “Production Economic Principles in Planning of the farm business”. She also supported Dr Geyser in updating the “Farm business financials” and “Financial analysis of farming results” chapters. The involvement of Stellenbosch University academics in a third of the book highlights the institution’s leadership in agricultural education, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to advancing the sector.

Dr van der Merwe also participated in a panel discussion during the book launch on 1 October 2024 hosted by Standard Bank in Johannesburg. She highlighted the importance of the book in illustrating the importance of the agricultural sector to the economy and the many interesting career opportunities that exist, not only on the farm but also beyond the farm gate. She also urged Standard Bank to, together with University partners, develop innovative solutions such as short videos and podcasts to increase GenZ’s engagement with the material.

From L to R: Prof André Jooste (HoD Department of Agricultural Economics), Dr Melissa van der Merwe (senior lecturer Agricultural Economics), and Dr Willem Hoffman (senior lecturer Agricultural Economics)

The 16th International Conference on Yeasts (16th ICY) took place in Cape Town from 29 September to 3 October. The ICY is held every four years and is organised under the auspices of the International Commission on Yeasts (ICY), a scientific association affiliated with the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). The 102 currently active Commissioners on the ICY represent 44 countries.

This was the first time that this event was held on the African continent. The Local Organising Committee was representative of the SA Yeast research community with members from the University of the Free State, the Unjversity of the Western Cape and the Agricultural Research Council. The LOC was chaired by Prof Florian Bauer (South African Grape and Wine Research Institute) and included Profs Evodia Setati, Benoit Divol and Dr Heinrich Volschenk from SU.

Florian Bauer (left) and Kevin Verstrepen (right) at question time after the opening keynote lecture

The conference attracted more than 300 delegates including around 250 international researchers from all continents. Globally renowned keynote speakers included Prof Kevin Verstrepen from the KU Leuven (Belgium), Prof Pascale Daran-Lapujade (TU Delft, Netherlands), Prof Brenda Andrews (University of Toronto, Canada), Prof Chris Hittinger (University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA) and Prof Jose Avalos (Princeton University, USA). Many young and upcoming researchers were also included as speakers in the program. In total, the conference featured more than 100 oral and more than 150 poster presentations. SU students and researchers were well represented with five oral lectures and 12 posters.

Doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows from SU presenting their recent research results at the 16th ICY. From left to right: Dr Natasha Luyt, Dr Evelyn Maluleke, Mr Daniel Zieff, Mr Lesiba Tyrone Chuene, Dr James Duncan

For the first time, the conference also featured a session on Science Communication, coordinated by Prof Marina Joubert from CREST at SU. The session also featured two artists from Great Britain who had been working with yeast researchers from the laboratory of Prof Diethard Mattanovich from BOKU University in Vienna to visually express their perception of the scientific process in general and yeast research in particular.

At the meeting of the commissioners who were present at the conference, Prof Bauer was elected as the new chair of the International Commission on Yeasts (ICY) for a period of four years until the next ICY meeting, which will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in 2028.