Researcher focused exclusively on how to make biltong for her doctorate; that will be awarded on 14 March.

When Maxine Jones receives her doctorate in Food Science from Stellenbosch University (SU), she will achieve a unique first that is distinctly South African:  she will receive a PhD for research focusing exclusively on how to make good quality biltong.

In the process the 27-year old can say she developed a scientifically proven recipe for making consistently delicious biltong.

Her parents, June and George Jones, share her love of biltong. They are now enjoying the direct benefits from all of her hard work. This Capetonian who matriculated from Wynberg Girls' High handed over her recipe to her parents so that they can make biltong themselves. In the process they are now assured that their own private stock of dried meat is of a consistent good quality.

Maxine will receive her doctorate in Food Science on 14 March 2017 from Stellenbosch University's Faculty of AgriSciences. Her industry-based research project focused on different aspects of biltong processing, such as the use of standardised drying procedures to dry the meat at best. She took note of factors such as temperature, humidity and air movement. She also investigated the presence of different yeasts, moulds and even bacteria that often occur on biltong, and that play a role in its shelf life.

"Quality and consistency is important to both the consumer and the biltong industry," says Maxine, who believes the local industry needs to standardise drying guidelines to ensure more consistent quality and to sidestep food safety issues. "There are currently no processing guidelines for biltong production in South Africa, and this leads to vast differences in the end product."

"The biltong industry has become an economically important sector in the South African meat industry and has the potential for further growth, both nationally and internationally," she adds.

Maxine also investigated export opportunities that are available to South African producers, and the certification processes and laboratory guidelines that they need to consider.

A career in meat

Maxine knows her way around a good cut of meat. This is because learning how to debone and process meat into salami, polonies, biltong and bacon, is part for the course when SU postgraduate students do meat-related research under the guidance of Prof Louw Hoffman of the South African Research Chair in Meat Science: Genomics to Nutriomics in the Department of Animal Science. Theirs is a small yet tightly knit research group.

"Our small research group is involved in several trials per year, and we all pitch in to help in one another's projects. We are therefore involved in the whole process, from the hunting of the animals in some cases, to sample collection and trial setups," explains Maxine, who says that team work formed an integral part of her postgraduate studies. "You learn to work in difficult circumstances, outdoors and with the minimum amount of equipment."

Her research path crossed with biltong during her MSc studies. Her research involved testing the addition of rooibos tea extract to South African droëwors as a natural antioxidant in an effort to increase the shelf-life of the product. "It also adds a traditional South African spin to this well-known product," she adds.

Her field of research has subsequently landed her a job as the quality and food safety manager for Cape Deli Biltong in Cape Town.

Her research has also taken her places, from Namibia and the Wageningen University in the Netherlands to an international conference in Thailand. She even travelled to Reunion Island, a remote French territory near Mauritius. There she tested the spicing of biltong with ultrasonic equipment and its subsequent drying. The equipment was available at the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), with which Stellenbosch University's Department of Animal Sciences enjoys ongoing cooperation.

"Biltong isn't such a simple matter as we may think; there's a science behind it," says Maxine. "With the increased popularity of biltong the research opportunities are vast, and this research is just the beginning of things to come."

Key findings

In the course of her project, Maxine consistently dried biltong at temperatures around 25°C, at a relatively low humidity of 30%, and an air speed of about 0.2 meters per second. Here are some of her findings:

• Adding vinegar in the salting/spicing step of beef biltong did not increase the time that the meat takes to dry out. Therefore, adding vinegar does not make meat dry faster.
• Vinegar does however help control the levels of microbes on biltong for at least a month after production. It therefore has an influence on shelf life.
• Overall, it is useful to add vinegar in a spice formulation to ensure a consistent product that is safe for consumption.
• Drying rates depend on the type of meat muscle being used, and also the source of the meat. Given the specific parameters used throughout the study, gemsbok topside took 76 hours to dry, fatty beef topside 118 hours, while beef topside and silverside both required about 96 hours to dry.
• Yeasts and moulds, which often cause a problem during storage, generally become visible after six weeks. Although not visible to the naked eye, they can already be present in high levels at the end of drying.
• Weight loss or adding vinegar does not influence the salt content of the dried meat.
• Beef biltong without vinegar has a pH of 5.56 to 5.75, while the addition of vinegar to biltong lowered its pH to 4.89 to 4.93, which prevents the growth of microbes.
  
   
  [end]

Reference: Jones, M.S. (2017). Profiling of traditional South African biltong in terms of processing, physicochemical properties and microbial stability during storage. DPhil (Food Science), Stellenbosch University, March 2017.

When Sarah Erasmus graduates on 14 March 2017 with a doctorate in Food Science in hand, she'll do so with the knowledge that her findings provided a scientific basis for widely-held claims that there is something special and quite unique about lamb meat from the Karoo region. Her findings helped to ensure that Karoo lamb received exclusive geographic "naming rights" last year in terms of European Union marketing legislation.

Erasmus started her postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University in 2013 at a time when no legal protection was yet provided to local South African products such as Karoo lamb, rooibos and honeybush being marketed overseas.

She completed her postgraduate research under supervision of Prof Louw Hoffman, South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Meat Science: Genomics to Nutriomics in the Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU), and food sensory expert Ms Nina Muller of the SU Department of Food Science.

"To many South Africans it is common knowledge that Karoo lamb has a unique taste because of the fragrant Karoo bushes the animal eats, but reliable evidence was needed to give substance to these claims," explains Erasmus, who hails from Villiersdorp and matriculated from Worcester Gymnasium.

Erasmus used different analytical methods, such as isotopes, and completed a descriptive sensory analysis. Some of her findings have already been published in journals such as Food Chemistry and Small Ruminant Research.

Through her sensory analysis, Erasmus confirmed Karoo lamb's unique sensory qualities, and also that it differs from lamb meat from other regions in South Africa. It was proven that it has a more prominent and favourable lamb-like and herbaceous taste compared with lamb from for instance the Free State and Rûens, where the animals generally feed on grass and lucerne and/or winter grain stubble, respectively.

"The sensory differences that were picked up were more prominent in the fat, which suggests that fat plays an important role in the overall taste of Karoo lamb," says Erasmus.

She did part of her research at RIKILT, a research institute of Wageningen University and Research (UR) in the Netherlands. There she used a state-of-the-art method known as proton transfer-reaction mass spectrometry under guidance of food authenticity expert Prof Saskia van Ruth.

"Unique chemical fingerprints are produced using this method and are used to determine the origin of food, or in this case meat," explains Erasmus, who presented her findings about how to authenticate Karoo lamb at a postgraduate symposium on food fraud at Wageningen UR in 2016.

Volatile compounds detected in Karoo plants were also picked up in the lamb meat and fat. These results verified the link between diet and meat, and showed that Karoo lamb is a product unique to its region of origin.

According to Prof Hoffman, Erasmus's meat science work is an example of how research can provide real benefits to farmers and producers in the South African meat industry.

Karoo lamb's geographic indication status

Erasmus' reliable scientific findings about among others the unique sensory and regionally specific qualities of Karoo lamb formed part of an application to the European Union to grant it its own unique geographic indication status. It was granted in October 2016 in terms of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Southern African Development Community (SADC) EPA Group and the European Union (EU). Its Geographical Indications (GI) status now provides Karoo lamb with international marketing protection and gives it its so-called "naming rights".

To get to this point Karoo lamb first had to be certified in terms of South African legislation. For this to be done, local abattoirs in the Karoo had to implement an impeccable traceability process about the origin of the meat they handled.

What is so special about Geographical Indications status?

Geographical Indications (GI) recognise that a particular name, which is usually derived from some place name, is for the exclusive use of products that come from that area. Well-known international examples are among others Parma ham, French champagne, Mexican tequila and Port.

Having its own unique geographic indicator status therefore makes Karoo lamb competitive on a global level and adds further value to the product associated with the name. 

​The Botanical Garden will be open untill 22h00 each evening from the 8th to the 10th of March.  Visitors can enjoy some of our night flowering plants such as the Victoria waterlilies.  The glasshouses including the newly renovated tropical glasshouse will also be open to the public.  Visitors can also enjoy self-guided garden tours including a tour that explores the use fo plants in Afrikaans poetry.  Both the Katjiepiering Restaurant and the Botanical Garden Shop will be open during these extended opening hours.

​​This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Every day more than 6 million people across the world who have TB are subject to a standard treatment regime. This lasts at least six months. The medication must be taken diligently every day to prevent drug-resistance from developing. Shortening the treatment period has become a top priority within TB research. US and South African scientists are embarking on a clinical trial to try and find a solution. The Conversation Africa's Health and Medicine Editor Candice Bailey asked Gerhard Walzl to explain the importance of the trial.

What are the current challenges around TB treatment?

In 2015 there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide. Six countries accounted for 60% of them: India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.

TB treatment is long and complicated to administer. It also has severe side effects.

To prevent the disease from reoccurring after treatment patients must take a combination of different antibiotics for at least six months. But the side effects linked to this antibiotic combination often include mild but annoying symptoms. In rarer cases the side effects can be severe and can include jaundice due to drug-induced liver disease.

The milder side effects include a general feeling of unwellness with nausea or loss of appetite, dizziness, skin rashes, sensations like pins and needles in the limbs or around the mouth, or flu-like symptoms. This often leads people, particularly in the later stages of the treatment period, to stop taking the medication. The problem is that this can result in multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) developing.

In 2015 there were an estimated 480 000 new cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

To treat drug-resistant TB can take up to two years – and is even more complex, expensive and toxic. There's also a staggering cost attached to this treatment, which poses a significant challenge to governments, health systems and other payers.

In addition many patients are unable to even access treatment. Among those who do receive treatment for MDR TB, only 50% survive.

Can this lengthy process be shortened?

Shortening of standard treatment has become a top priority within TB research.

According to the studies, 95% of TB patients are cured with six-month courses while only 80% to 85% of patients are cured with shorter courses.

What this means is that most patients are cured after four months. The challenge is that scientists are unable to tell beforehand which patients belong to which group.

If it were possible to identify the patients who only require four-month therapy we would be able to reduce treatment duration in the vast majority of patients.

How have scientists tried to reduce treatment time and why has it not worked? How can this be changed?

Previous studies into the viability of shortening treatments to four months have been unsuccessful. New drugs were used in four-month treatment regimens in the hope that they could replace the longer treatments. But the rates at which the infection recurred were unacceptably high. Our hypothesis is that not all patients are suitable for shortened treatment regimens, regardless of the effectiveness of the new drugs and that a more individualised approach might be required.

Over the next five years the Predict-TB consortium, which includes five TB research groups in Cape Town, five in China and three institutions in Europe will address the problem.

The project will develop a smart set of treatment stopping criteria that are based on special lung scans (PET/CT imaging) as well as a point-of-care device which can measure the immunological markers that contribute to the decision on whether or not to stop treatment. These are proteins in the blood, whose levels are affected by inflammation and their levels will be measured by strip tests, similar to finger stick tests used to measure blood sugar levels.

These parameters will answer two key questions: is it possible to identify patients who are cured during a shorter treatment duration, and what combination of parameters can best identify these patients?

If treatment could be shortened, what would that mean for the treatment of TB?

This new method – if successful – could be a true game changer. It will advance treatment standards from the current practice of "one size fits all" to precision-guided individualised therapy. This will allow for shortened treatment in a significant proportion of drug sensitive TB patients.

The benefits would extend beyond patients, who would receive treatment for shorter periods and with better completion rates. Reducing the TB burden will also have an effect on the economic situation in many developing countries and less drug resistance will benefit public health on a global scale.

Gerhard Walzl is the head of the Immunology Research Group at the Division of Molecular Biology & Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University.

Ongoing corruption is a serious threat to South Africa's national security, writes Prof Evangelos Mantzaris of the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research (ACCERUS) at Stellenbosch University in an article published on The Conversation website on Tuesday (14 March 2017).

• Read the complete article below or click here for the piece as published.
  

IS CORRUPTION (REAL OR IMAGINED) A NATIONAL THREAT?

Corruption has a dilapidating effect on the lives of billions of people around the world including Africa and South Africa. And usually it is the most vulnerable members of society that are the hardest hit.

Corruption comprises a range of unethical and deviant activities which pervade and transverse both the private and public sectors of a given country, with the latter situation having greater consequences for the majority.

Despite efforts by the United Nations, various institutes, NGOs, specialised units and international organisations that produce knowledge that can ultimately lead to a variety of measures to eliminate corruption, it continues unabated. Not even the manifold theories, applied research, solutions and recommendations seem to have the desired effect.

This is certainly seems to be the case in South Africa. National and provincial newspapers are replete with reports of corruption at all levels of government.

We have seen how corruption has resulted in ineffective utilization of state resources aimed at providing the essential conditions and services to communities, denying them the possibility of realising their full potential. Because of corruption in both urban and rural areas, health care, education, employment opportunities, housing, roads, and security have been neglected.

These essential services have continued to elude millions of South Africans, especially the poor, the marginalised and the rural masses. This is a recurring reality not because of lack of resources, but because government's capacity to provide such services and deliverables has been greatly affected by corruption.

Personal interests, greed and avarice continue to undermine the government's capacity in resource allocation and service delivery. Poverty, deprivation, frustration, disillusionment and relentless protests are the results.

Having lost confidence in government, communities starving for development vent their anger against real or perceived corrupt officials, institutions, businesses and, on many occasions, foreigners. This happens primarily because their expectations for efficient and effective service delivery are not realised. The support that flows from the people to those who rule them has dissipated and instability is the effect.

Based on the instability corruption causes, can one go as far as to say that it is a threat to national security? I would like to think so.

The concept and reality of national security is captured by the Nigerian economist Chidi Onuoha's definition that it is related to "the capacity of a state to promote the pursuit and realisation of the fundamental needs and vital interests of people and society". In this sense national security is the composite of economic, political, environmental, health, nutritional, community, and personal securities.

Thus, it can be understood that the primary objectives of the South African state are to strengthen the country at all levels of human existence. This cannot be achieved fully unless corruption is eliminated.

Corruption as a threat to national security manifests itself in the continuous lack of legitimacy of the state amongst communities of all layers of society  that have put South Africa at the forefront of service delivery protests internationally.

Corruption thus becomes a national threat because of the government's inability to detect it, stop it and put the culprits where they belong, exactly like China has done over the years. The legal realities of the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Public Finance Management Act and all anti-corruption laws cannot hide the weakness of the South African state, where personal financial interests intersect with public interests and take precedents over the latter.

The notion of corruption as a threat to national security is not just applicable to South Africa. Internationally there have been official pronouncements by major emerging economic powers declaring that corruption, especially in the public sector, is a national threat to them.

In a recent China Anti-Corruption Summit both the Chinese Vice President and the chiefs of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Public Security Bureau painted a disastrous picture of public service corruption in a country that has perhaps the most rigorous and severe legal punishment measures in the world.

A bit closer to home, the chairperson of the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has described corruption as the biggest threat to the country's national security and economy. She identified concretely the links between security and the economy, indicating that a poor economy is the foundation of crisis and adverse national interests.

Although many ideas have been put forward to eliminate corruption, I would like to suggest at least three measures that could be helpful in this regard.

Firstly, it is imperative that we intensify the fight against corruption and also demand strategic and comprehensive arrangements and implementable initiatives that are multi-dimensional like this scourge is.

Secondly, we need serious research and investigations that focus on combatting corruption and how this can be achieved. These will guide the planning and implementation of defensive and offensive strategies, mechanisms and measures. Prevention, detection and punishment result through these mechanisms.

Thirdly, we need clear knowledge and understanding of corruption, enforcement of good systems, organisation, ethical behaviour, good and honest leadership are crucial in the fight against the disaster.

It is important to keep in mind that these elements cannot flourish and be implemented without strong political will, effective law enforcement, efficient and corrupt-free judiciary and an independent and active civil society.

*Prof Evangelos Mantzaris is a senior researcher and an Extraordinary Professor at the Anti-Corruption Centre for Education and Research at Stellenbosch University (ACCERUS). This article is based on his recent Stellenbosch Forum Lecture.

Two classmates from Bulawayo who studied together at Zimbabwe's Midlands State University in their undergraduate years both received their PhD degrees in agriculture from Stellenbosch University yesterday. Interestingly, the newly capped doctors both researched diseases that are associated with grapevines. Both will also be turning 35 years old in May this year – and they even share the same surname: Moyo. This then is the story of plant pathologist Dr Providence Moyo and wine biotechnologist Dr Mukani Moyo.

According to Providence, the two friends met in 2002 while they studied Biological Sciences as undergraduates. They then went their own separate paths, just to meet up again in Stellenbosch to pursue their postgraduate careers.

"We are almost the same age and are both turning 35 years old this May – I was born on the 5th and Mukani on the 28^th," adds Providence, who is called "Pro" by her friend.

The two friends even defended their PhDs in the same week, which forms part of the academic process that students have to go through before successfully attaining their postgraduate degrees.

"At the time I came to stay in Pro's flat, which meant that we could celebrate together afterwards too," says Mukani, who has been studying at Stellenbosch University since 2009, when she started on her MSc degree. "Now we graduated together for the second time after earning our undergraduate degrees years ago."

Their graduation ceremony took place on Tuesday 14 March. Providence received a PhD in plant pathology, and Mukani a PhD in Wine Biotechnology. They are among a group of 18 PhD students and 61 masters degree students who graduated this week after doing research in the SU Faculty of AgriSciences. The PhD group represents students from six African countries: South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

"One of the missions of Stellenbosch University is for the institution to extend its footprint into Africa, and especially its research footprint in particular," says Prof Danie Brink, acting dean of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University. "One way of doing so is by providing postgraduate support to students from around the continent.  This is reflected in growing numbers of postgraduate students from African countries in the Faculty of AgriSciences."

Dr Providence Moyo's research work

For her PhD in plant pathology, Providence Moyo surveyed which types of Diatrypaceae fungi species are found on grapevines and other woody plants growing near South African vineyards. This fungal family, and especially the species Eutypa lata, is known to cause a potentially devastating disease called Eutypa dieback. It causes the arms or trunk of a grapevine to rot, until the plant dies over a period of a few years.

She found fifteen different species of Diatrypaceae, and established that some species are associated with specific dieback symptoms. In the process she identified a new species of Eutypa never described before in the world, as well as seven species of Diatrypaceae that viticulturists and plant pathologists did not know occurred in South Africa.

Providence completed her research under guidance of supervisors Dr Francois Halleen of the Agricultural Research Council and Dr Lizél Mostert of the SU Department of Plant Pathology.

The project was instigated after local plant pathologists received reports from overseas about the discovery of new fungal species, which were thought to also be involved in the development Eutypa dieback.

"We did not know whether these species occurred in South Africa, and therefore decided to investigate," explains Providence, who has taken up a position as a plant pathologist at Citrus Research International in Nelspruit after completing her studies.

Her study is more than just a tick list of the types of fungi that cause dieback in South African vineyards. She among others also developed a laboratory test that plant pathologists and viticulturists can use to detect whether the species Eutypa lata and Cryptovalsa ampelina are present in the woody part of a vine.

Dr Mukani Moyo's research work

For her PhD in wine biotechnology, Dr Mukani Moyo used different molecular techniques to investigate the interplay between grapevines and fungal pathogens that cause diseases. In particular, she investigated what happens when grapevine plants are infected by Botrytis cinerea, a fungal pathogen that causes grey mold of grapevine.

She used techniques that made it possible to identify the attack strategies of the fungus, as well as the defence strategies of the plants. These so-called interactome studies lead to interesting insights into the interaction between grapevine and its pathogens.

She found proof that some of the defences of grapevine are not used, or even effective against the pathogen. For example, a grapevine defence protein, the polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP), was shown to be ineffective against protecting the plants against Botrytis. This is interesting, because the same protein when tested in tobacco helps to effective control the fungus.

"Vines are naturally susceptible to Botrytis infections and unlike other plant species, the PGIP protein does not seem to play a defence role in protecting the grapevine against such infection," she explains.

Dr Mukani Moyo says the best part of her PhD – and probably also the part that taught her many a lesson in tenacity – has been to find out just why the gene provides protection in some plants, but not in others.

'It has to do with changes in the cell walls of plants overexpressing the grapevine pgip gene, emission of volatile organic compounds and expression profiles of genes involved in crucial defence mechanisms such as hormonal regulation. Studying the process both from the perspective of the pathogen and the plant, made the detail understanding possible in the end," she explains.

Dr Moyo completed her degree under guidance of Prof Melané Viviers of the Institute for Wine Biotechnology in the SU Department of Viticulture and Oenology.

• The full list of students who received their doctorates in the Faculty of AgriSciences on 14 March 2017 are:
  Samuel Adu-Acheampong (Conservation Ecology); Stephen Amiandamhen (Wood Product Science); Omowumi Binyotubo (Aquaculture); Bernard Effah (Wood Product Science); Sarah Erasmus (Food Science); Maxine Jones (Food Science); Lelani Mannetti (Conservation Ecology); Tlou Masehela (Entomology); Providence Moyo (Plant Pathology); Luke Mugode (Food Science); Eliah Munda (Agronomy); Edson Ncube (Plant Pathology); Jeronimo Ribeiro (Agronomy); Letitia Schoeman (Food Science); Tara Southey (Viticulture); Louwrens Theron (Wine Biotechnology); and Iyve Zvinorova (Animal Science).    

​Nearly 230 students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) were capped this week at Stellenbosch University's March graduation.

For most of these students, this marks the culmination of years of hard work and countless hours of working behind a desk. For Charlene Clarke, who this week received her MSc in Molecular Biology, preparation for her degree also included 12 weeks of camping in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Park in KwaZulu-Natal, wrangling African buffalo and coming face-to-face with some of Africa's biggest predators – who luckily were anaesthetised at the time.

Clarke's research for her MSc looked at the effects of the tuberculin skin test (TST) on a group of proteins (interferon-gamma) in buffalo and cattle, which required the collection of blood and other samples from these animals. Her work forms part of the FMHS's Animal TB research group that does extensive research on bovine TB and its effects on wildlife.

Record number of PhDs

Among the graduates are fourteen new PhD candidates who received their doctorates this week. Combined with the 21 PhD students that graduated in December last year, this is the highest number of PhDs that Faculty has ever produced in one year.

Among the group of newly capped PhD graduates are three academics from the FMHS – two paediatricians from the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and a senior lecturer from the Division of Physiotherapy.

Dr Angela Dramowski's PhD research assessed the rate of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) of hospitalised children. She found the South African rates to be higher than in other high- and middle-income settings, mainly due to overcrowding, understaffing and the prevalence of HIV. Her study also looked at the contribution of HAIs to childhood deaths and the additional costs associated with it. Dramowski's study also offers methods of curbing HAIs and is the first comprehensive roadmap for addressing HAI in Africa.

For her PhD Dr Dawn Ernstzen developed clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain specifically for the South African context. Her findings indicate that modifications in current practice patterns, healthcare system organisation and governance will contribute to the implementation of the guidelines.

Dr Pren Naidoo's PhD research evaluated the impact of a new TB diagnostic tool, called the Gene Xpert, in 142 Cape Town clinics. She found that although the tool increased the number of diagnosed multi-drug resistant patients and reduced the time to treatment, there were also some serious issues with the Xpert. For example, it did not result in more TB cases being diagnosed or better treatment outcomes, and increased the cost per diagnosis by 150%. Her study concludes that certain health system failures diminish the full potential of the Xpert, and must be improved urgently to optimise the benefits of this expensive investment.

Other degrees

Among the Faculty's almost 230 graduates, 14 candidates completed their MMed degrees, making them medical specialists; 14 newly-qualified doctors received the MB,ChB degrees; 34 students received MSc degrees; five Honours degrees were awarded; 39 Master's students graduated; and 104 students received postgraduate diplomas.

There will be times, when the research for your Masters' degree will take a strange turn and you will end up traveling hundreds of kilometres on horseback to collect information.

This was the case for Barbara Seele, M-student at Stellenbosch University's Faculty for AgriSciences who travelled on horseback to interview Mongolian pastoralists in order to learn more about their use of medicinal plants.

Mongolia, a country between China and Russia, has a population of about 2.8 million people. The country is especially known for its rivers and streams, majestic mountains, and stretching grasslands. About a third of the residents of the country follow are nomadic livestock herders.

 Barbara obtained her M-degree on Monday (14 March) at SU's March Graduation Ceremony. Her research focussed on how the nomadic Mongolian herders use medicinal plants for their livestock and how this knowledge can be protected. (This research is relevant to South Africa where researchers are increasingly focussing on the use of medicinal plants.

 Barbara says after participating in an endurance ride in Mongolia, and seeing how the people there used plants to treat livestock against diseases, she was very interested in going back to learn more about this.

"It is a somewhat unusual topic and I would not have been able to achieve it without the support of my supervisors."

CAPTION: Barbara Seele, trekked hundreds of kilometres on horseback in Mongolia in order to complete the research for her Masters degree.  PHOTO: Hannes Wiese.

Jamie and Rosemary Cripwell, a couple from Stellenbosch, toiled together for a few years and now they're obtaining their doctorates in the same week at Stellenbosch University (SU)'s March 2017 graduation. Jamie received his doctorate in Chemical Engineering on Wednesday morning (15 March) at SU's second graduation ceremony while Rosemary will be awarded her PhD in Microbiology on Thursday (16 March).

At the same ceremony, degrees were also awarded to students in the Faculties of Theology and Engineering. Students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences received their degrees and diplomas at the third graduation ceremony on Wednesday evening.

Jamie and Rosemary's PhDs are among the 140 new doctorates that will be awarded this week and, together with those awarded in December, it will bring the number of doctorates for the 2016 academic year to 278 (in comparison with 2015's 267).

"It is great that we are receiving our doctorates in the same week. This was also one of the reasons we decided to complete them at the same time. We helped and mutually inspired each other," says Jamie.

He speaks highly of his wife Rosemary who he says encouraged him to do his doctorate.

"Initially a PhD wasn't part of my plans, but Rosemary inspired me to start."

Originally from Johannesburg, the couple met at the University of the Witwatersrand. They also did their Master's degrees together.

Jamie will do post-doctoral research at SU and says he plans to publish two articles on his PhD in addition to the two that have already been published.

"It was not easy and was frustrating at times," Rosemary admits, "but we supported each other all the time."

Rosemary says it was good to tackle their PhD-studies in this three-year goal they have set out for it together.

"We inspired each other and exchanged ideas all the time. It was good to do this with someone who knows me as a student and as a person."

On Wednesday, Master's degrees in Music were awarded to mother and son Louna and Pieter-Adriaan Stofberg. Louna, who graduated cum laude, is an organist, whilst Pieter-Adriaan is a cellist.

"It was wonderful and extremely special to do our masters together," says Louna. "We encouraged each other and kept one another going when things got difficult."

"There were many early mornings of getting up and working together on our studies," Pieter-Adriaan adds. "There was a lot of bonding time and cups of coffee!"

"I did this simply for myself and my own enrichment, I've already taught a lot in my life and was a music teacher for years, I'm now an organist in Hermanus," says Louna. Pieter-Adriaan, a cello teacher at various schools, was motivated to do the master's at SU because of cellist and lecturer Anzél Gerber, who acted as his supervisor.

For Louna's chamber music exam last year, mother and son performed the 'Rheinberger Suite' together, a piece of music that features the rare combination of organ, cello and the violin. Pieter-Adriaan fiancée was the violinist. They will perform the piece again at the FynArts festival in Hermanus in June this year.

"We had so much support from our family," Pieter-Adriaan concluded. "It is really impossible to do this without a backup system in place and people who tell you to keep going."

Also among the graduates was Ashwin Phillips who obtained his BA Honours degree in Social Anthropology. Ashwin, a former SciMathUS-student, is currently doing a Master's degree in Sociology at SU. He was part of a group of former SciMathUS and Hope@Maties students who graduated on Wednesday.

SciMathUS and Hope@Maties are two university preparation programmes being run by SUNCEP, the Stellenbosch University Centre for Pedagogy. These programmes aim to afford learners access to higher education.

For the 2016 academic year, 106 students who have come through these programmes graduated.

• Main photo: Jamie and Rosemary Cripwell
  
• Photo 1: Louna and Pieter-Adriaan Stofberg
  
• Photo 2: Ashwin Phillips
• Photographer: Stefan Els

Her study years at Stellenbosch University (SU) – which culminated in her graduation on Friday when she received the degree BCom (Management Accounting) – proved to Anita Engelbrecht that there is no challenge she can't successfully overcome.

"It has given me a much clearer idea of what I CAN do," says Anita, who suffers from spastic diplegia and who has been in a wheelchair all her life. She was born prematurely and experienced an oxygen shortage shortly after her birth. The part of her brain that controls the development of motor functions was affected.

But she is not a prisoner of her wheelchair. She likes to push boundaries because magic happens when you move out of your comfort zone, she believes.

After matriculating from Bellville High School with five distinctions, Anita arrived at SU's Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences to study Accounting in 2013. After her first meeting with representatives of the faculty she knew she was in the right place.

"It was clear to me from the start that my success on all levels was very important to them," she explains. "There was never a problem too big to handle."

However, this doesn't mean that there were no challenges. Anita needed the help of a scribe during exams because, as she explains, "her writing speed is that of a snail". To make things even more difficult she can only see out of one eye at a time. And her brain decides which one without her being able to control it. This makes it very difficult to read and she doesn't have time to review study material two or three times. She has to take it all in during the first (and only) time.

At the end of her first year she met with her lecturer who asked her whether she really wanted to be a chartered accountant. This would mean that she would have to go to clients without knowing if the environment is wheelchair-friendly. With the bigger picture in mind they decided together that she would change her course to BCom Management Accounting. It was the right decision for her.

 "Sometimes I have to decide between what I want to do versus what is practically possible. I don't regard it as a failure that I had to change my course. If I don't try things I will always wonder about them," she said in an earlier interview.

"Stellenbosch not only gave me the opportunity to be successful in my studies, but also to grow holistically as human-being."

She compares the faculty, exam office, her friends and support network, and her faith to the stakes one plants next to a vine to help it grow.

"The journey, the adventures, the growth on all levels – these elements are more important than the destination," she believes.

As a resident of Russel Botman House, she enjoyed being able to participate in student activities such as studying in the library or enjoying time on the mountain road above Coetzenburg with friends. 

"My study years exceeded all my expectations," she says. "But sometimes good things come to an end so that new journeys can begin."

• Anita is currently busy with her honours degree through UNISA. She and Hilton Murray, a fellow member of the Bellville Athletics Club who pushes her in a custom-designed buggy, plan to take part in the Comrades for the second time this year.

​His rugby career might have come to an end recently, but new opportunities await former Maties Rugby captain Beyers de Villiers who graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management (cum laude) on Thursday evening.

De Villiers, who represented Maties and WP, believes he was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play the sport he loves while earning his degrees.

He would have loved to end his career on his own terms, but to take chances with his health was not an option.

De Villiers recently called halt on his career after suffering concussion in the game against UP-Tuks – Maties' first game of the 2017 Varsity Cup season. Specialists advised him not to play again.

"I've suffered concussion numerous times since my school rugby days and the side-effects were becoming worse. I had headaches, struggled with concentration and experienced incidents of amnesia. Before this year's Varsity Cup I went back to the specialists and they told me that if I suffer concussion again they won't clear me to play. In the game against Tuks the blow against my head was so hard I lost consciousness for a few moments. And I knew ... It had become too dangerous to play," said De Villiers.

"It was a difficult, but also an easy decision to stop playing. In fact, the injury made the decision for me. The doctor gave me no choice but to stop playing. There was no other option for me. So in that sense, it was easy. The hard part is that I am missing out on my last year of rugby. And that it happened at the beginning of the season. I would have loved to play this year."

But to gamble with his health, wasn't worth the risk, said De Villiers. "Any other injury – shoulder, leg, knee, hand – you can recover from. With good rehabilitation and treatment you can play. But concussion is something else..."

De Villiers made his debut for Maties in 2011 and after six seasons he will miss the off-the-field memories the most.

"The culture, the feeling of being part of a family and the lessons I have learned. These are the highlights. I have made many friends and built relationships."

During his time at Maties De Villiers played under Chean Roux, Chris Rossouw and Hawies Fourie.

"Maties Rugby is definitely on the right track. Hawies' approach is one of establishing structures for support and a professional culture. Players receive support so that they can study, go to the gym, etc. We will soon be where we should be like those universities that are linked to a union."

De Villiers' advice to other players is to have complete concussion tests done at the beginning of each season.

"Find out what your baseline is. If you get a few knocks, go for tests again. Be honest with yourself about the symptoms. You'll know if it gets worse; when your memory or concentration deteriorate. Do not throw away your life because you want to play rugby for one more year."

The 2016 class of the Faculty of Law ended their graduation day on a high note on Thursday, 16 March 2017 with a procession from the Coetzenburg Centre - a first for the University.

Prof Sonia Human, Dean of the Faculty, led the group of about 100, together with faculty staff, friends and family, following their morning graduation ceremony. They were accompanied by drummers from Stellenbosch High School as they made their way down Die Laan, Bosman Street and Victoria Street - finally stopping at the Old Main Building where the celebrations continued.

"What a wonderful day of celebrations, smiles and achievement," Prof Human told graduates and their family. "We have started a new tradition today, and hope to continue with this in future,' she added.

LLB graduate, Adriaan Louw, said: "No victory in life should go by without celebrating. And today is worth celebrating."

This week's graduation ceremonies will again see a record number of students graduating from SU. Together with the December 2016 graduation ceremonies (the two ceremonies form the 2016 academic year) it will again be the most qualifications, including the most doctoral degrees, awarded by SU. This week altogether 2922 degrees will be awarded – bringing the total number of degrees for the 2016 academic year to 8339 (7905 for 2015).

The new South Africa-India science and technology research collaboration, launched by the National Research Foundation and Department of Science and Technology, recently awarded a research grant to Dr Christell van der Vyver of the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB) at Stellenbosch University and Prof Sanjib Panda of the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University in Silchar, India, as the principal investigators. The funding was awarded for the project Enhancing drought tolerance in crops species using biotechnological approaches.

As part of this new collaboration, MSc student from the IPB, Coenrad van Beek, travelled to India at the end of January to attend and present his research at the International Symposium on Plant Biotechnology for Crop Improvement. This symposium was organised jointly by the Institute of Technology, Guwahati, and Assam University and was attended by researchers working in the field of plant biology. Aspects such as plant molecular biology, the importance of agriculture, different metabolic and molecular processes in plant cells, the ability of plants to cope with environmental stress, stress tolerance and plant immunity to pathogens were discussed. Coenrad presented his work in the form of a poster entitled The SiNACII transcription factor and its use in improving drought tolerance. He was further awarded the opportunity to attend the consecutive International Conference on Functional Plant Biology held at Assam University. After this conference, he worked in Prof Panda's laboratory for three weeks, training in various new analytical techniques that determine the physiological responses of plants to abiotic stress.

As part of the collaboration, Prof Panda also visited South Africa at the end of February. As visiting professor, he gave a presentation entitled Biotechnology for developing abiotic stress tolerant crops as part of the forum organised by the Department of Genetics at Stellenbosch University. Prof Panda has extensive knowledge in the field of abiotic stress tolerance in plant species and has published over 100 papers in international journals covering this topic; these papers have been cited more than 3 500 times. His lab has expertise in plant molecular biology and transgenic technology, stress physiology and biochemistry, and comparative and functional genomics using next-generation sequencing. It has run a number of projects in these areas both nationally and internationally.

In the future, student exchange between the labs of Dr Van der Vyver and Prof Panda will be encouraged and promoted. Students will be trained in various applicable molecular techniques and given the opportunity to learn from fellow scientists at these two labs. Both principal investigators of the project also hope to visit each other's labs regularly to exchange ideas in the field of abiotic stress and to build knowledge to improve crop tolerance to these stresses.

With improved ticket sales and higher attendance figures than in previous years, Stellenbosch University's (SU) Woordfees is going from strength to strength. At the festival that ended on Sunday (12 March), total ticket sales increased by 12% in comparison to that of 2016. Sales of books and visual art works were also up from previous years.

"This year's festival was a very positive experience for me; it was great!" says Saartjie Botha, director of the Woordfees. "I am very proud of what we have achieved and I am grateful to the people who worked so incredibly hard to make it happen."

According to Botha, theatre was very popular. "The ticket sales of the much talked-about works, like Wild, Sing jy van Bomme, Piekniek by Dingaan and Martelsang, showed growth during the festival. Ooms, So ry Miss Daisy, Laurika Rauch with Loki Rothman: Blou and Ballades were fully booked."

The film and writers' programme and the discourse series demonstrated a particular growth in attendance. People were keen to learn about topical issues, such as the economy, land reform, and even how America will survive under President Donald Trump. The Vriende van Afrikaans' discussion between former judge Albie Sachs and Saartjie Botha was a particular highlight.

Stellenbosch360's debate, "Is Stellenbossers dwarstrekkers?", drew much interest, with an indication that the mayor, advocate Gesie van Deventer, is determined to consult communities and that the University is keen to work with the municipality.

SU academics, students and alumni were well represented in all the genres at the festival – debates, book discussions, theatre and especially in music performances. The SU Symphony Orchestra, the US Camerata, who accompanied the famous Tim Kliphuis Trio (photo), the Stellenbosch University Choir, all enchanted people from near and far, as well as the Stellenbosch Libertas Choir, to name a few.

The WOW projects, whose aims are to extend learners' perspectives with different projects, was attended by about 2 500 pupils and 600 teachers from as far as Piketberg, Bredasdorp and the Eastern Cape. The WOW day for Grade 12 learners included a talk by a local role model, Sherlin Barends of GoodhopeFM and MFM, and also her interview with the Noem my skollie actor Dann-Jacques Mouton.

More than 300 teachers enjoyed a discussion by Marita van der Vyver on her youth book, Al wat ek weet. Later during the week the learners who are members of the WOW Readers Book Club participated in a writers' festival in cooperation with Lapa Publishers. Altogether 40 teams also participated in the annual WOW Debating Festival.

The paint and verse workshops, which combined literature and visual literacy, were attended by 250 learners and 60 teachers from primary schools in the Western Cape. About 200 Grade 2 en 3 learners also attended special theatre performances of Heidi and The Snow Queen.

The cash-free system, now in its third year, is also becoming more popular. "Festival-goers accept the system and there is greater acceptance every year, especially as far as the convenience and safety of the system is concerned," says Botha. 

Two new venues – Jan Marais Nature Reserve and Cloetesville High School – worked very well according to Botha. It will definitely be used in the future, along with Amazink in Kayamandi, as well as Lückhoff and Stellenbosch high schools, which makes the festival a real town's festival.

Complaints from the public that peak traffic, especially Friday afternoon, caused them to be late for their shows, will be addressed in next year's scheduling, Botha promised.

The winners of the festival's WoordTROfees will be announced on 25 April. Next year's US Woordfees will be held from 2 to 11 March (depending on approval of SU management).

With the introduction of the new MPhil (Cancer Science) degree under the auspices of the African Cancer Institute (ACI) within the Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University (SU) recently became the first academic institution in Africa to offer a structured cancer-science programme of this nature.

In many countries, cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality and, worldwide, cancer cases are expected to increase from 14.1 million in 2012 to 22.2 million by 2030. These statistics point to a major epidemic that requires a co-ordinated response – one that effectively targets research gaps and which also succeeds in establishing sustainable cancer research programmes.

While our understanding of cancer has increased significantly over the past few decades, cancer knowledge is still under-represented in academic curriculums on the continent, says Prof Vikash Sewram, Director of the ACI.

The ACI was launched in 2013 to consolidate the university's cancer and cancer-related research activities, with the goal to develop a critical mass of scientists, clinicians, postgraduate students and fellows that will assist in mobilising the cancer-research agenda in Africa. The new MPhil (Cancer Science) programme, launched in January 2017, was the next necessary step.

The interdisciplinary programme, which offers postgraduate training to all cadres of health personnel, is being offered on a full-time basis over a minimum period of 18 months. Seven students are currently enrolled – three from South Africa and four from other African countries. Four are clinicians with oncology expertise, one student is a registered nurse, and the others have a background in the basic sciences.

During the first academic year, the students are expected to attain the required insights into cancer biology and tumour physiology. Topics covered also include planning cancer research studies, selecting the correct research methods, understanding the role of infection in cancer risk in Africa, the importance of nutrition in cancer survivorship, the principles of cancer chemotherapy and the role of the environment on public health.

Students are also exposed to biostatistics for analysis of cancer data, and expected to plan their research projects in the second semester of the first year. International students are encouraged to identify a research topic of relevance to their home country.

Interested in pursuing the degree?
Candidates who hold any of the following qualifications can apply for the 2018 programme:

• An MB,ChB or equivalent degree.
• A four-year professional bachelor's degree in a health-related discipline.
• A BSc Hons degree in Medical Sciences obtained via Stellenbosch University or another recognised university. Or, alternatively, an equivalent qualification approved by the Senate.

For more information, contact Prof Vikash Sewram at vsewram@sun.ac.za.

Caption: Profs Vikash Sewram (Director: ACI), Jimmy Volmink (Dean: FMHS) and Usuf Chikte (Head: Department of Global Health Sciences) with the first group of fellows doing the MPhil Cancer Sciences.

Earlier this year the eight cohort of PhD scholarship holders of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences were welcomed by the Faculty; pushing the total number of doctoral candidates enrolled to 180 since the School's inception, in 2010.

The Graduate School programme has been considered a huge success with 93 PhD students having graduated between 2012 and 2016. This year, 2017, a total of 21 doctoral candidates from African countries, including South Africa, were selected to be part of the programme. It will be the first time that the Graduate School will have PhD candidates from Ethiopia and Mauritius.

The 21 doctoral students are spread across 10 departments within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. 

"We are incredibly proud to welcome our eighth cohort of doctoral scholarship holders to Stellenbosch University. The Graduate School is considered to be the biggest success story for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences as we have developed and implemented a comprehensive and concerted set of measures to address the critical current and future shortages of trained academics in South Africa and the continent at large," says Dr Cindy Steenekamp, Chair of the Graduate School Board.

A welcoming function for the students was held at Middelvlei Wine Estate on the 1 February 2017 with the new doctoral candidates, their supervisors, members of the Graduate School Board as well as Faculty management. During the welcoming, Prof Anthony Leysens, the Acting Dean of the Faculty highlighted the importance of international ties with neighbouring countries and the need for African scholarship.

"The pool of African intellectual talent that forms the foundation of this doctoral scholarship programme is key to its success. Embracing scholars from a diverse range of nationalities, disciplines, cultures and traditions has created a vibrant and transformational scholarly community within our Faculty," said Leysens.

In closing, Prof Leysens went on to wish the new 2017 cohort of doctoral students' great success with their PhD studies.

Photo: The Acting Dean, Prof Anthony Leysens, welcomed a new cohort of 21 doctoral candidates to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate School earlier this year. (Hennie Rudman, SSFD) 

A group of doctoral candidates from the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences were invited by Prof Sandra Swart of the History Department to an experiential learning and team building morning at the Maties Equestrian Club last month.

The brave team consisted of history doctoral students – Herbert Ndomba, Hezron Kangalawe, Innocent Dande, Lloyd Maphosa, and Makaato Lukyamuzi – and a MA student, Theo Galloway. The morning proved to be a success despite the 37 degree heat.

"I was afraid of horses initially and I did not like the idea. However, it turned out to be an excellent opportunity to get to know not only the horses and how they behave but also my colleagues!" said doctoral candidate Innocent Dande.

The event, which was sponsored by the Maties Equestrian Club Community Project, has hosted several active practicums on life-skills, team work and leadership, using horses as the medium of instruction – to act as windows into understanding group dynamics and individual challenges.

"It was my first time to touch the horses and experience their world amidst socialising with psychologists and PhD colleagues. It was such a fantastic experience, which will remain etched in my memory," said fellow doctoral student Hezron Kangalawe.

The sessions, which are run by two trained facilitators in Equine Assisted Learning, Sarah Garland and Fiona Bromfield, have been popular with participants including a diverse group of students and University staff. According to Swart the session served as an excellent way to open up new conversations and foster team building.

"It shook us out of our comfort zones. In the final analysis, if nothing else, it got us all out of the archives, library, lecture theatres and offices: out into the sun and into the company of horses for a few hours. After all, writing a thesis is an intensely atomised, lonely and alienating experience – so exercises in team building, cohort creation and, above all, building authentic friendships are vital in remedying this" said Swart.

More information about Maties Equestrian Club can be found on their home page at http://blogs.sun.ac.za/matiesequestrian/home/

Photo: Prof Sandra Swart with doctoral students; Herbert Ndomba, Hezron Kangalawe, Innocent Dande, Lloyd Maphosa, Makaato Lukyamuzi and MA student (History Department) Theo Galloway. (Photo supplied by Prof Sandra Swart)

Former doctoral student at the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr Godfrey Hove (photo), was recently awarded first prize during the 2016 Research Awards Ceremony, held by the University of Zimbabwe, for his article co-authored with Prof Sandra Swart from the History Department at Stellenbosch University (SU).

The article,"This is a land of honey – no milk, bar sour!" African milk regimes and the emergence of a colonial order in Southern Rhodesia 1890s – 1907, stems from Dr Hove's doctoral research during his time at SU, when he was part of the 2012 PhD cohort.

The annual Research Awards Ceremony recognises outstanding research by members of the Faculty of Arts in six categories; including most ground-breaking research, which Dr Hove was honoured to receive.

According to the adjudicators of the Research Awards Ceremony, the article that has been published as part of a special issue Writing Animals into African History in the journal of Critical African Studies, is said to break new ground in historiographical and empirical ways. Using dairy farming as an analytical prism, the article explores the interface between indigenous knowledge systems and colonial capitalism in Zimbabwe.

"The award really motivates me continue on this productive path," said Hove.

Prof Swart went on to congratulate her former PhD student on his achievement saying: "I am so proud of Dr Godfrey Hove. He is one of our most talented young historians. Working with him on this (and other projects) is a pleasure because of his intellectual honesty, academic rigour and gentle wit. Thinking about Zimbabwe's troubled past and stormy present, I have to agree with Oscar Wilde, "Anybody can make history – it takes great men to write it. Godfrey is one of them."

The full article can be found online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21681392.2016.1209863?scroll=top&needAccess=true

Ask most avid rugby supporters why they think so many players leave South Africa  to ply their trade overseas and chances are they will say money and quotas. But is it really that simple? Are there perhaps other reasons why rugby players may join overseas clubs?

"Contrary to popular belief, especially among rugby supporters, South African rugby players do not join overseas clubs just because of money or quotas – or even because of those reasons at all in some cases. These two factors do not play THE role people would like to think," says Rais Frost who did his Master of Business Management and Administration (MBA) at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB).

Frost obtained his MBA on Thursday (16 March 2017) at Stellenbosch University's March graduation ceremony. His supervisor was Prof Mias de Klerk of the USB while he also received support from Eugene Henning, Managing Director of MyPlayers, the professional rugby players' organisation in South Africa.

Frost, a Belville-based attorney, is passionate about rugby and wants to make a difference at the administrative level in the sport.

"My research has shown that players also move abroad because of systemic age pressure, excessive travel, the negative attitude of the rugby public, the opportunity to experience a different culture and a different style or system of play," adds Frost regarding the real reasons behind talented players' decisions to leave SA rugby.

"Although there are many assumptions as to why SA rugby players move abroad, there has been no scientific study to explore such reasons from the perspective of players as far as could be established," says Frost.

To find out what these reasons are, he interviewed eight overseas-based players (United Kingdom, France and Japan) with an average age of 34 years. Six were Springboks while one player moved to the United Kingdom (UK) and became eligible to play for his adopted country. Another played Currie Cup and Super Rugby before joining an overseas club.

"Despite the fact that these players frequently mentioned financial remuneration in the interviews, there appeared to be no critical need for exorbitantly high levels of remuneration."

"In terms of systemic age pressure, players said that in South Africa you are often seen as past your best when you've reached the age of 30 years – the so-called 30-year old ceiling."

"This has a knock-on effect as players decide to leave the country at a younger age because they know once they've reached 30, or even approach 30, there won't be many opportunities left."

Frost points out that whereas in South Africa players older than 30 years are spewed out by the system, in a country such as France they are considered as being in their prime and highly valued.

He also cites the examples of All Blacks Dan Carter and Richie McCaw who at the ages of 33 and 34 respectively, played pivotal roles in New Zealand winning the World Cup in 2015. Another All Black, Brad Thorn was 36 when he helped steer his team to a second World Cup win in 2011.

"As far as excessive travel is concerned, the players said that playing in UK and European tournaments means that they are away from home for two nights at most, whereas in South Africa this could be three weeks at any given time. They mentioned that challenging travel schedules have a profoundly negative impact on their families and social lives."

"Players also highlighted the repetitive nature of the annual SA rugby calendar and said they experience the same tournaments year after year and sought to experience variety and high strength competition."

Frost says they indicated that the strength of the tournaments and the make-up of overseas club teams are better suited for players to improve themselves as rugby players because there are often an abundance of experienced international players from which other players can learn and be mentored.

"Another important reason for going overseas is the fact that the severe negativity and criticism of supporters and the media have a detrimental effect on players' family and social lives. This in turn has a negative effect on players," Frost adds.

He points out that it is important to keep in mind that the reasons players gave for moving abroad are interconnected and no one reason can be identified as a single cause.

As to what can be done to keep players in the country, Frost says that in broad terms, rugby governance and competition structures need an overhaul and  perceptions that players 30 and up are too old must also change.

Now that he has identified the reasons for players leaving, Frost says he would like to continue with his doctorate in order to formulate the optimum retention strategy for SA rugby players. He adds that such a study would, amongst others, include a diverse group of locally-based players at a SA union.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Rais Frost

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