College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

Unisa champions Africa-centred solutions for a global future

Share

Unisa’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) hosted its 2025 Research and Innovation Day, spotlighting Africa-led science and innovation for global impact. The event showcased bold, homegrown research tackling Africa’s most pressing challenges, from edible food waste solutions to climate-smart farming.

The event was held on 21 May 2025 at the Unisa Science Campus under the banner "Proudly African, Globally Relevant". The day celebrated Unisa’s commitment to advancing Africa-rooted, globally applicable research and innovation.


A platform for African scientific leadership

This year’s gathering convened students, researchers, academics and industry partners to explore how African knowledge systems, scientific expertise and innovation can be leveraged to address pressing ecological, agricultural and public health challenges both on the continent and globally.

Unisa-champions-Africa-centred-solutions-global-future-1.jpg

Keynote speaker: Prof Olaniyi A Fawole, SARChI Chair in Sustainable Preservation and Agroprocessing Research (SPAR) at the University of Johannesburg, delivers a compelling address on Africa’s scientific innovation potential

In his keynote address, Prof Olaniyi Fawole, incumbent of the SARChI Chair in Sustainable Preservation and Agroprocessing Research (SPAR) at the University of Johannesburg, challenged Africa to harness its youth, land and ingenuity to secure a sustainable future.

"By 2050, Africa will house 2.5 billion people, 70% under the age of 30. We have 60% of the world’s arable land yet suffer post-harvest losses and low value-added exports due to underinvestment in research," Fawole said.

He shared insights from his award-winning pomegranate preservation project, funded through a £250 000 African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership grant. The project uses edible coatings made from food waste to extend fruit shelf life, reduce sunburn damage and boost export potential.

"Food waste can be part of the solution to food loss. If we want to be globally relevant, we must rethink and re-engineer our value chains," he emphasised.


CAES showcases research excellence

A series of cutting-edge presentations from CAES researchers highlighted the diversity and societal impact of the college’s academic inquiry:

  • Dr XH Makhoba (Life and Consumer Sciences): Molecular Chaperones in Protein Homeostasis, Drug Targets, and Biomarkers
  • Prof Munya Chitakira (Environmental Sciences): Climate-Smart and Resilient Smallholder Communities
  • Prof Gerhard Prinsloo (Agriculture and Animal Health): South African Flora – A Treasure Chest of Opportunities
  • Dr Annette van Onselen (Life and Consumer Sciences): Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration
  • Prof ZL Mkhize-Kwitshana (Life and Consumer Sciences): Neglected Tropical Diseases: Silent Master Regulators of Other Diseases
  • Prof Nkululeko Nyangiwe (Agriculture and Animal Health): Acaricide Resistance – A Global Challenge in the Cattle Industry

Unisa-champions-Africa-centred-solutions-global-future-2.jpg

Prof Nkululeko Nyangiwe

Phutiane Letsoalo of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) also contributed exceptionally to advancing scientific professionalism and collaboration with academia.


Poster presentation competition: Celebrating rising researchers

The event included a competitive poster presentation session, judged by a panel of experts. The top awards went to:

  1. Anna van Wyk, Olusesan Ojo and Gerhard Prinsloo
    In Silico Risk Assessment of Phytocompounds in the Hexane Crude Extract of Curtisia dentata Stem-bark
  2. Garland More, Charmy Twala, Kgaugelo Tapala, Raymond Makola and Gerhard Prinsloo
    Medicinal Plant-Derived Caffeoylquinic Acids as Inhibitors of Rift Valley Fever Virus: A Computational Study
  3. Takalani Maake and Phumzile Sibisi
    Hexanoic Acid Treatment Induces Tomato Resistance to Tuta absoluta


Collaboration with industry and scientific innovation

The event was bolstered by support from a dynamic range of industry sponsors and exhibitors who showcased the latest in scientific technologies and tools, offering researchers and students access to state-of-the-art resources.

Unisa-champions-Africa-centred-solutions-global-future-3.jpg

Innovations on display: Various exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge scientific solutions at the CAES Research and Innovation Day exhibition


Commitment to Africa’s knowledge economy

Prof Ashley Gunter, CAES Acting Deputy Executive Dean, praised the event’s success in demonstrating how Unisa continues to deliver on its transformative, African-rooted scholarship mandate.

"Africa is rising, and our research must rise with it. Through collaboration, innovation, and investment in our youth, we are building a research ecosystem that is ready for the future," Gunter said.

The CAES Research and Innovation Day 2025 reaffirmed Unisa’s commitment to developing African solutions with global impact and building a resilient, knowledge-driven economy guided by sustainable and contextually relevant research.

* By Gugu Masinga, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Share

Publish date: 2025/06/05

Unisa Shop