In proud association with

DAY 1 | Tuesday 14 March 2023

AFRICA
AGRI TECH
Technology Day

MC Aki Anastasiou

08:00 Conference registration opens

Welcome by Master of Ceremonies

09:00
Aki Anastasiou

Welcome by AFGRI, Headline Conference Sponsor

09:15
Norman Celliers, Chief Executive Officer, AFGRI

Hall of Fame Announcement

09:30
Dr John Purchase, Custodian

Feeding a global population of 9.8 billion people by 2050

Panel discussion facilitated by
Professor Ferdi Meyer, Managing Director, BFAP
Panel Members:
09:45
Kevin Kalb, Farmer: DuBois, Indiana, USA
Danie Bester, Farmer: Balfour, Mpumalanga, RSA
Brooks Cardinal, Farmer: Oaktown, Indiana
(remote participation from the USA)

10:30 Tea and Coffee Break

Technology: the conduit from sustainable

farmers to sustained communities
Panel discussion facilitated by Lynette Francis-Puren

11:00 Panel Members:

Lennox Plaatjies, PALS
Phillip Retief, Van Loveren Wines
Zander Ernst, Allesbeste Boerdery

Precision Farming:
11:45 The Promise of AI in Africa’s Agriculture Sector
Professor Johan Steyn, AI For Business

Cyberthreats and Trends: Securing our Agricultural Sector

12:15 Billy Petzer, Research Group Leader:
Cyber Security Systems, CSIR

The Innovation Hub

12:45 Dr Phuti Chelopo Mgobozi, Innovation Specialist responsible
for Agroprocessing portfolio, Bioeconomy and IKS

13:00 Lunch

Connectivity Panel
Panel discussion facilitated by Aki Anastasiou
14:00 Panel Members:
Mr Kallie Carlsen, Managing Director, Paratus South Africa
Mr Brenden Pronk, CEO, Cammington

Energy in Agriculture
14:30 Gerhard van der Burgh, Senior Analyst, BFAP
In conversation with Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor

Scientific data:
15:00 Linking cutting edge technology with agronomy
Marnus Ferreira, Head of Soil Science, Agri Technovation

Cyber Security
15:15
Lwando Cwane, Cyber Underwriting Team Lead, Hollard

Why is it necessary to invest in new technologies pertaining to

animal feed, and what solution does red seaweed offer?
15:45
Tom Puddy, Managing Director / Co-Founder, SeaStock (Pty)
Ltd (remote participation from Australia)

Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture:

Enhancing risk mitigation to financiers
16:00
Alec Azar, General Manager, Agricultural Economics & Advisory,
The Land Bank

Keynote: South Africa beyond the crossroads

16:30
Professor Nick Binedell, GIBS

17:00 Closure and visit to the Expo Floor

* Programme subject to change without notice

In proud association with DAY 2 | Wednesday 15 March 2023

Science &
AFRICA
AGRI TECH Biotechnology Day
MC Bobby Brown

07:00 Conference registration opens

Welcome by Master of Ceremonies

08:00
Bobby Brown

High Value Commodities: from hero to zero and back

Facilitated by Lindi Botha (agricultural journalist)
Keynote: Benchmarking on high value commodities
Juan Winter, Director, Source BI
Discussion: The future of food production –
AI, robotics and new technology
08:15
Mark Hassenkamp, Director, RedSun Hortitech
Panel discussion:
Tiaan Snyman, Technical Lead, Firstfruits
Zander Ernst, Director, Allesbeste Boerdery
Alun Saayman, General Manager, Marquis Macadamias
Brent Walsh, CEO, BerriesZA

Overview of South African Research and Development and

testing of new technologies with a specific focus on digital
systems for biosecurity
09:45
Dr Maneshree Jugmohan-Naidu,
Director: Agricultural Biotechnology,
Department of Science and Innovation

African Agriculture: Partnering for Impact

10:15 Dr John Becker, Centre Manager of the
African Centre for Gene Technologies

Genetic Engineering
Discussion between Dr Hennie Groenewald, CEO,
10:30 Biosafety South Africa and
Professor Johan Burger, Department of Genetics,
Stellenbosch University

11:00 Tea and Coffee Break

Advances in monitoring systems for disease diagnosis

11:30 Marzanne Roets, National Co-ordinator,
National Animal Health Forum

Developing Next Generation Vaccines

11:45 Professor Alan Guthrie, Director Equine Research Centre,
University of Pretoria

Resilience during times of adversity

Opening: Professor André Jooste, Department of Agricultural
Economics, Stellenbosch University
Panel Members:
12:15
Loffie Brandt, Head: Sales enablement – ABSA Agribusiness
Dr Albert Strever, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Agri
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiatives,
Stellenbosch University

13:00 Lunch

Can cultivated meat and precision fermentation contribute to

14:00 food security while conserving our wildlife heritage?
Dr Paul Bartels, CEO, Mogale Meat Co.

Genomics and Animal Health: Opportunities

14:15 Facilitated by Dr Chris van Dijk, Veterinary Specialist:
Bovine Herd Health

Genetic Improvement: From phenotype to genotype

14:20
Dr Bernice Mostert, Senior Geneticist, SA Studbook

Using genomics for improved control of ticks and

tick-borne diseases
14:35
Dr Christian Stutzer, Senior Researcher,
University of Pretoria

African breeds and emerging farmers

14:50 Professor Linky Makgahlela, Senior Researcher,
Agricultural Research Council

Epigenetics and its impact on the use of genomics

15:05
Jason Reding, Livestock Geneticist, SA Studbook

Diagnostics: The future is here

15:20
Dr Francois Maree, Clinomics

Panel discussion facilitated by Dr Chris van Dijk

Panel Members:
Dr Bernice Mostert, Senior Geneticist, SA Studbook
Dr Christian Stutzer, Senior Researcher,
15:35 University of Pretoria
Dr Francois Maree, Clinomics
Jason Reding, Livestock Geneticist, SA Studbook
Professor Linky Makgahlela, Senior Researcher,
Agricultural Research Council

Keynote: Technology - Achieving more with less

16:30
Jason Brantley, Director, Asia, Africa & Middle East, John Deere

17:00 Closure Day 2 and visit to the Expo floor

* Programme subject to change without notice

In proud association with DAY 3 | Thursday 16 March 2023

The Business
AFRICA
AGRI TECH of Agriculture
MC Gary Alfonso

07:00 Conference registration opens

Welcome by Master of Ceremonies

08:00
Gary Alfonso

Missed opportunities in SA agriculture:

Incomplete statistics on South African agriculture
08:10
How new data technology can fix this
Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist, Agbiz

Missed opportunities in SA Agriculture:

How regulations and administrative processes hamper the
08:30 adoption of new technology in South African Agriculture
Professor Johann Kirsten, Director, Bureau for
Economic Research, Stellenbosch University

Missed opportunities in SA Agriculture: Q&A

Wandile Sihlobo, Chief Economist, Agbiz
08:50
Professor Johann Kirsten, Director, Bureau for
Economic Research, Stellenbosch University

The role of digital finance in empowering

women in agriculture
09:00
Wilson Irungu, Grants Manager, The Mastercard Foundation Fund
for Rural Prosperity

Social media in agriculture and the growing role women

09:15 actively play in the industry
Michelle Miller (The FarmBabe), Archer, Florida (USA)

Agriculture Marketing Trends

09:40 Dr Moses Lubinga, Senior Economist: Trade Research,
National Agricultural Marketing Council

The future of agricultural insurance

Panel discussion facilitated by Theo Vorster,
CEO, Galileo Capital
Panel members:
10:00
Andries Wiese, National Business Development Manager,
Hollard Insurance
Philip du Preez, Managing Director, VKB Brokers
Ross Simmonds, Managing Director, UNIGRO

10:40 Tea and Coffee Break

The Agriculture and Agro-Processing Master Plan (AAMP)

Facilitated by Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor
11:15 Panel Members:
Theo Boshoff, CEO, Agbiz
Khani Baloyi, Commodity Markets and Foresight, BFAP

Supporting responsible food production for a better future

12:00 Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Operations & Stewardship Manager,
CropLife SA

The latest technology within the

Israeli Innovation Authority framework
12:30
Noa Isralowitz, VP DealFlow Operations at InNegev Incubator
(remote participation)

From our farms to the world: Trends and challenges in the

global market for Brazilian agricultural products
12:45
Carlos Vitor Müller, Agricultural Attaché at the
Brazilian Embassy in Pretoria

13:05 Lunch

ClemenGold: Building a successful international brand based

on solid business and marketing principles
Abraham van Rooyen, Founder and Director:
14:00 ANB Group of Companies
In conversation with Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor
(remote participation from Stellenbosch)

The Food-Energy-Water Nexus

Facilitated by Professor Theo Venter, Political and Policy Analyst
Panel Members:
14:30 Professor Dirk Kotze, Political Sciences Professor, UNISA
Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela, Political Economy Analyst
Prince Mashele, Political Analyst and author
Dr Lumkile Mondi, Senior Lecturer, Wits Business School

Banking on Tomorrow - A new digital era

Dr Michael Jordaan, Chairperson, Bank Zero
15:15
In conversation with Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor
(remote participation from Stellenbosch)

ICT and e-Agriculture: Talking the talk, in a digital age

15:45 Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor, in discussion with Jared Palick
(Skylux Media, USA, and Executive Producer of “Live to Farm”)

Up close and personal with Kevin and Shawn Kalb

16:15
Facilitated by Anlie Hattingh, eNCA News Anchor

Keynote: How venture capital drives change in agriculture

16:45 Vusi Thembekwayo, Bestselling Author,
Business Mogul and Serial Entrepreneur

17:15 Closure Day 3 and visit to Expo

* Programme subject to change without notice