JANUARY 2024
Photocatalyst for drug-free fresh water
Sorghum bran packs a bigger punch than the whole grain Safer evacuation with one device Deciphering outlier success Transnational cooperation for endangered wildlife
Times Higher Education ranks the University of Johannesburg #4 in South Africa for 2024.
The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) places the University of Johannesburg among the top 3.1%, at position 628 in May 2023.
The 2023 Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) ranks UJ first in South Africa for: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Food Science and Technology, Sociology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Management, Earth Sciences, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Education.
Madibeng Building on the UJ Auckland Park Kingsway Campus (Photo by Olivier Maurin)
Dear Reader,
It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the very first Issue of the University of Johannesburg’s Research and Innovation Magazine. As the university pursues impact for the good of society through its research and innovation efforts, this magazine presents us with a perfect platform to showcase various projects as well as the EXCELLENCE that is prevalent across our great University! This inaugural Issue includes many exciting projects, and here I highlight just a few.
Throughout the world, freshwater resources are under pressure for various reasons. In Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa, reliable and safe fresh water supply is a perennial challenge. For this reason, improving the treatment of wastewater before it flows into rivers and other freshwater resources is crucial.
A new type of economical photocatalyst that shows significant potential to break down pharmaceutical residues and other organic pollutants, using energy from the sun, is our cover story for this issue. This is the work of Prof Nsika Dlamini and team.
We also take a look at how the citrus export industry in South Africa has grown into the second biggest in the world after Spain. This is an outlier success, especially from a developing country such as ours. There are many moving pieces in this evolving industry, as shown by a team of UJ researchers.
Africa is home to the ‘Big Five’ animals which people on safari expect to see. Each year, many wildlife species including the Big Five are trafficked for illegal gain. Despite many anti-poaching measures ‘on the ground’ and Anti-Money Laundering laws, such illegal profits continue to enter the legal global financial system. Here Dr Cayle Lupton introduces the factors contributing to the current situation and looks at options to plug a crucial gap in current legislation.
As our planet’s climate continues to change, we need to focus more on ‘minor’ food sources and diversifying our staple food sources. One of these ‘minor’ grains is sorghum which thrives a wide variety of climatic conditions. Sorghum is also grown throughout Africa and Asia as a food crop.
A study by Dr Janet Adebo and Dr Hema Kesa presented here shows a significant source of vital nutrients for human wellbeing, especially child development, in traditionally grown sorghum bran.
I am confident you will enjoy the read!
Yours sincerely,
Prof Sarah Gravett Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Internationalisation (Acting)
The UJ Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus (Photo by Gregor Röhrig)
UJ the top producer of accredited research outputs in South Africa
In a historic first, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is now the top producer of research outputs in South Africa. Twenty-six (26) universities in the country produce research that advances knowledge with the potential to benefit humanity.
This is according to a report released on 19 May 2023 by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). In this latest report, in terms of refereed publications, UJ has achieved the #1 position in South Africa with 2753.4 research output units. The Report on the Evaluation of the 2021 Universities’ Research Output shows the number of units obtained from research publication outputs with a 2021 publication date, submitted and evaluated in 2022.
This is a historic development for a comprehensive university formed out of a merger in 2005.
“Outstanding work by colleagues all around! We are proud of the immense dedication and performance of our staff, postdoctoral fellows, students, research associates, research divisions, centres and institutes.
A special thanks to all the institutions (sponsors and funders – national, regional and international) who invest
UJ
in our research endeavours; we could not have done this without them”, said Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, ViceChancellor and Principal, University of Johannesburg.
The 2023 report highlights a remarkable increase of 18.8% for accredited research outputs in 2021 compared to the previous year (the average annual increase over the last 3 years being 8.4). Journal articles, books and chapters continue to comprise an increasing component of UJ research output, while conference proceedings comprise a declining percentage of the overall submission. Over 96% of the journal articles submitted were listed on international journal indexes, with 78% being indexed in the prestigious Scopus international publication and citation database.
Prof Mpedi added: “We are very proud of this achievement and excited to see even more outputs from our scholars in the near future. The University will continue to support and strengthen research around Global Excellence and Stature (GES), the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), but this time, with an even greater emphasis on research for societal impact, thus, GES 4.0 – for Societal Impact”.
Doornfontein Campus in Johannesburg (Photo by Kevin Reddell)
Photocatalyst for drug-free fresh water
Breaking up the residues of pharmaceuticals in treated waste water is a challenge worldwide. A new type of photocatalyst shows significant potential for improving fresh water quality in rivers and dams which receive waste water, using the energy of the sun.
A new type of versatile economical photocatalyst that harnesses the visible portion of the sunlight spectrum has been developed by researchers from the University of Johannesburg. Currently, economical photocatalysts only ‘use’ the UV spectrum of sunlight. The new photocatalyst harnesses about a third of the visible light spectrum.
The extremely stable, powder-form three-component photocatalyst is built from graphitic carbon (89% of mass), a modified calixarene (10%) and a niobiumcontaining MXene (1%). The research is published in the Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices.
The photocatalyst is the first three-component photocatalyst with these specific photocatalytic properties. It is almost 90% comprised of economical off-the-shelf ingredients, and simple enough to produce at scale in resource-constrained laboratories.
In other research studies, a photocatalyst containing the noble metal palladium (Pd) has been described, which ‘uses’ the visible spectrum of sunlight also. In contrast, the photocatalyst in this study uses small amounts
of the minor transitional metal carbide, niobium to prepare the third component, a nanomaterial known as a MXene.
Niobium carbide MXene has been used in a wide array of photocatalytic applications such as hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide conversion to valuable products. In powder form, the photocatalyst is also extremely stable under high temperatures, humidity, and chemical variations.
The catch with photocatalysts
Reducing energy use in bulk industrial processes can be tricky. But what if a major portion of the electricity consumed during water treatment, can be harvested directly from the sun instead? Photocatalysts can be ‘switched on’ by sunlight and other forms of light. These can then facilitate chemical processes by several orders of magnitude. These catalysts exhibit the potential to be used in a variety of energy generation and environmental detoxification industries.
But there is a catch. Currently, highly effective photocatalysts tend to be very expensive and rapidly lose
efficacy. They can also be difficult and even dangerous to make. A major component of the cost of photocatalysts can be metals such as platinum, palladium or gold. Using metals in photocatalysts is not desirable from an environmental point of view either.
Another catch is that most current photocatalysts tend to ‘switch on’ mostly upon UV light exposure, which only constitutes 5% of sunlight energy reaching the surface of the Earth. Meanwhile, visible light constitutes 45% of the available solar light energy, and near-infrared the remaining 50%.
Adding a third of visible light spectrum
The photocatalyst the researchers designed and tested harnesses about a third of the visible light spectrum, says Prof Langelihle (Nsika) Dlamini. Dlamini is a researcher at the UJ Department of Chemical Science. To put numbers on this, the ultraviolet spectrum (UV) has shorter wavelengths (high energy), ranging from 200 to 400 nanometers. Visible sunlight has longer wavelengths (low energy) from 400 to 700 nanometers.
The violet-blue-cyan-green portion of visible sunlight right next to UV light, is what the UJ researchers’ photocatalyst responds to. This low-energy portion of visible light also ‘switches on’ the photocatalyst to initiate chemical reactions.
“The photocatalyst is excited and has a low rate of undesirable electron and holes recombination in the 420 to 520 nanometer wavelength range. This is owing to the unique structural design of the integrated materials,” says Dlamini.
Mr Collen Makola operating the laboratory-scale simulated biological-photocatalytic waste water treatment plant. It uses the new photocatalyst to break apart drug residues in realworld waste water samples.
“This means that the photocatalyst should be able to respond to an additional 15% of the available solar energy to initiate chemical processes, depending on its efficiency,” he says.
First economical and stable visible spectrum photocatalyst
This study is a first for a non-noble metal, economical photocatalyst, says PhD candidate Mr Collen Makola.
“The performance of any photocatalyst can be measured by evaluating its ability to convert solar and/ or light energy into chemical energy. This is known as the photo-to-chemical conversation efficiency, represented as mu. Our photocatalyst (mu = 4.86%) surpasses a three-component photocatalyst (mu = 1.81%), which appeared in a journal article in 2017. That photocatalyst was composed of silver, cadmium sulfide, and zinc oxide,” says Makola.
In temperature tests, the researchers found that the photocatalyst is extremely stable up to 500 degrees Celsius. Also, the stability in water of different pH levels was confirmed ranging from pH 1 to pH 14. Additionally, the prepared photocatalyst disperses uniformly in water—an added advantage for photocatalytic applications.
Three-ingredient, almost metal-free
To get a photocatalyst with this performance, the researchers combined three ‘ingredients’ for the final design of the photocatalyst. First, about 89% of the bulk mass of the powder-form photocatalyst is graphitic carbon, says Dlamini. “Graphitic carbon is ‘excited by’ or
Photo by Therese van Wyk
‘switched on’ by UV light in the 200 to 400 nanometer wavelength range. It produces free electrons that can then initiate a variety of chemical processes,” he adds. The researchers produced this ingredient at one of the UJ laboratories.
The second ingredient is about 10% of the final mass.
This is the calixarene, in this case a cup-shaped molecule.
“We included the calixarene so the photocatalyst can ‘catch’ and break down unwanted organic molecules, such as personal products, pharmaceutical drugs and their metabolites and other substances in municipal wastewater. Calixarenes have been used for decades in pharmaceutical drugs,” adds Dlamini. The researchers purchased the calixarene off-the-shelf and then modified it.
The third ingredient is the MXene. “The main function of the MXene is to prevent the photo-generated electrons from the graphitic carbon nitride to recombine or
The structure of the visiblelight efficient photocatalyst built from three components. The calixarene and MXene contribute to the shift into the visible light spectrum. Arrows indicate how electrons flow between the components when the photocatalyst is excited by 420 to 520 nanometer visible light.
Graphic by Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) South Africa & Collen Makola and Therese van Wyk.
‘cancel out’ with the positively charged species (known as holes) under visible light exposure,” says Makola.
The MXene they selected is about 1% of the final mass. It contains carbon and a tiny amount of niobium, a relatively low-cost metal. “Both the calixarene and the MXene contributed to shifting of the light absorption into the visible region of the solar spectrum,” says Makola.
Versatile, multiple applications
By its very nature, the economical photocatalyst has significant potential for multiple industrial applications where sunlight or electrical light is available to facilitate chemical processes, says Dlamini. This varies from bulk water treatment to sterilisation of grow rooms or medical facilities and more.
Currently, the researchers are testing the photocatalyst’s ability to break down organic pollutants and pharmaceutical residues in real wastewater samples on laboratory scale.
From Left to Right: Project supervisor Prof Langelihle (Nsika) Dlamini; Project collaborator Dr Edwin Mmutlane; and First author (PhD candidate) Mr Collen Makola; in front of the furnace used to sinter the photocatalyst. All the researchers are from the Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg.
Photo by Therese van Wyk
Sorghum bran is highly suitable for product development, finds Dr Janet Adebo. It has much higher levels of some essential amino acids and minerals needed for human health and development than a whole grain or dehulled sorghum flour.
Sorghum bran packs a bigger punch than the whole grain
Sorghum
Sorghum bran packs a calcium, magnesium, leucine and valine punch much higher than the whole grain flour. The climate-resilient gluten-free grain also holds its own on macro – and micronutrients compared to the biggest grains produced worldwide.
Dr Janet Adebo and Dr Hema Kesa investigated and compared the nutritional quality and functional properties of the different anatomical parts of two locally available sorghum varieties - white and brown sorghum. The study is published in Heliyon. Dr Adebo is a researcher and Dr Kesa the Director of the Food Evolution Research Laboratory (FERL) within the School of Tourism and Hospitality at the university.
Bran for nutrition
Says Dr Adebo: “The reduction of nutrients in sorghum bran has become a matter of nutritional concern. Bran removal, or reduction in bran particle size due to milling or deliberate dehulling, affects the nutritional quality. There is strong scientific evidence linking regular consumption of whole grain cereal foods to long-term health benefits.”
“Previous studies mostly associate this with the bran component included as part of whole grains. There is also an indication that some of these nutrients are more concentrated in the bran. Perhaps when nutrients are together with the endosperm and germ (as whole grains), complexation with other constituents might reduce their extractability and availability during analyses,” she adds.
Climate resilient, versatile food resource
Sorghum is widely grown both as a traditional and commercial crop for human and animal food in much of Africa and Asia. It is one of three gluten-free grains in the top seven produced grains world-wide – the others are corn (maize) and rice. The grain has the added advantage of being produced locally in many
developing countries. It is known for its high resilience during water scarcity. There are some varieties tolerant to waterlogged soil that is not suitable for farming some other cereals.
Fibre, leucine, valine
Crude fibre in the bran samples Dr Adebo analysed were much higher than from other parts of the whole grain, says Dr Adebo. Meanwhile, brown sorghum bran contained high levels of the essential acid leucine, above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) level. The bran could help supply needed levels of this essential amino acid required for repairing and building muscle.
Calcium and magnesium
High amounts of up to 0.80g/100g valine was detected in the brown sorghum bran. The essential amino acid valine is vital for muscle tissue and repair as well as growth hormone production – much of these functions are needed in kids and teenagers who require these essential nutrients. Relatively high calcium and magnesium levels were detected in sorghum bran. The results show that sorghum bran is a cheap and readily available source of these minerals which can assist in bone growth and development.
Sorghum holds its own, with advantages
When comparing sorghum with the top grains worldwide, it holds up well for macro-nutrients, says Dr Kesa. Compared to corn (maize), wheat, rice, barley, and oats; sorghum contains similar ranges of protein, crude fibre, carbohydrates and minerals.
“Sorghum has been found to contain resistant starch, which is a type of dietary fibre that resists digestion in the small intestine. Resistant starch can have positive effects on gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and contributing to improved digestion.”
“The grain also has a relatively low glycemic index (GI) compared to some other grains. Foods with a lower GI can help regulate blood sugar levels, which is particularly important for people with diabetes”, says Kesa.
Dr Hema Kesa (Left) and Dr Janet Adebo (Right)
Photo by Therese van Wyk
Safer evacuation with one device
When the correct equipment is not available, unnecessary injuries can happen during evacuations. A new type of collapsible lightweight stairchair / wheelchair / stretcher aims to protect patients and EMS paramedics from injury and equip more ambulances, says UJ MA Industrial Design graduate Dominic White.
When first responders arrive to evacuate a patient from a building, the correct equipment can protect the patient and responders from injuries and get the patient to a medical facility faster. Uneven terrain, as well as narrow, steep flights of stairs and narrow hallways pose dangerous challenges on a daily basis in the city of Johannesburg, says Ms Dominic White.
Currently the UJ Technology Transfer Office (UJ TTO) partners with White and a local evacuation chair manufacturer to bring a new type of collapsible threein-one stairchair-wheelchair-stretcher to market.
Dr Phumuza Langa is the Senior Manager: Commercial Analyst at the UJ TTO overseeing the commercialisation aspects.
Photo by Therese van Wyk
Dominic White (Left) and Saul Nkhata (Right) adjusting the steel prototype into stairchair mode at the manufacturing facility hosting development for the triple-purpose evacuation chair.
White, her co-designer and then-Industrial Design lecturer Ms Ashton (Bullock) Moseley, and the manufacturer are working on the technology development activities of the project.
Narrow stairs and hallways
White experienced a day-long ride-along with a private ambulance service for her Honours thesis research. She interviewed several first responders at ambulance services and fire stations. She is a UJ MA Graduate in Industrial Design and a veteran in the wearing of moonboots and use of crutches.
She grew up with a mother managing a medical specialist practise, spending lots of time at hospitals and doctors’ rooms as a child. A person in her family struggles to use stairs because of osteoarthritis.
White heard from a first responder what happens when a patient is several floors above ground level needing urgent medical attention – but no elevator can be used. To carry a patient downstairs, a spine board should be used.
However, using a spine board on stairs requires tremendous strength and technique to ensure the safety of a patient of normal weight, and avoid injuries to the Emergency Medical Support (EMS) staff. Using a spine board also takes longer than using a stairchair. A stairchair is designed to evacuate a patient without spinal injuries downstairs fairly quickly with significantly less effort for the EMS staff.
Transfers waste time
In another scenario, the patient is on the ground floor, but a room’s door faces a narrow hallway. This forces the EMS staff to transfer the patient from the stretcher to something else to get them through the door. Then they have to transfer the patient back to the stretcher again. This wastes time and increases risk to the patient and paramedics. The patient may have had a stroke, heart attack, diabetes or allergy incident, a fall, or other critical injury, requiring specialised medical care within the socalled ‘Golden Hour’.
The 3D digital design of what the final product can look like in stairchair mode. This version does not include the medical mattress required for patient comfort.
Also, as homes in cities become smaller, winding stairways can become narrower and steeper. A paramedic told White about a risky technique used by some publicservice staff in these environments. They carry the patient on a stretcher to the top of the stairs. There they transfer the patient into any ordinary plastic chair they can find, carry them at risk to the patient and their own backs and shoulders down the staircase for several floors if needed, then transfer the patient back onto the stretcher, before sliding the patient on the stretcher into the ambulance.
Can’t use the stairchair
Even if an ambulance is supposed to have a stairchair, there may not be funds to buy one, or it may not be ready for use. It may need critical maintenance or repairs, but the parts simply cannot be purchased within a reasonable time period or at reasonable cost, because the stairchair is imported from a country with a much stronger currency.
Why not one device?
Lots of devices are available in the global market, says White. But the device she is developing has unique features to ensure that the patient does not have to be transferred to another device, no matter how many narrow doors, hallways and staircases on the journey to the ambulance – as long as there are no spinal injuries. This is the only device combining stairchair and wheelchair and stretcher functionality so that it is always in one piece, even when switched from one mode to another. And it can be collapsed and locked
3D digital model by Dominic White
into the floor of an ambulance like existing ambulance stretchers do, without taking up more space than an ambulance stretcher does.
The business case for one such device also holds up for local resource-constrained services, says White. Instead of procuring, maintaining and repairing three different devices, there is one. One local manufacturer can repair, maintain and provide spare parts. Per device, the cost is higher, comparing a stairchair / wheelchair / stretcher with a stretcher. However, per equipped ambulance, the cost is lower, one device takes up less space in the ambulance, patients do not need to be transferred from one device to another, time is saved, and EMS staff are less likely to get injured themselves.
Building prototypes
White built the very first mockup from ice-lolly sticks for her Honours project. Once the concept convinced her then-supervisor Ms Ashton Moseley, White built the next prototype from plastic tubing. This prototype and the detailed digital 3D design were then presented to the UJ TTO for possible commercialisation.
The proof-of-concept full-size steel prototype shown in the photos, was built by the manufacturer under White’s supervision and assistance for her Masters’ thesis. This one demonstrates that all three modes of the chair will function correctly. The Masters’ was supervised by Ashton Mosely and Angus Campbell. The steel prototype is very heavy, so best operated by experienced stairchair builder and operator Mr Saul Nkhata, says White. The steel prototype was also built so the UJ TTO could register a design.
Next, lightweight aluminium
Building of the master sample from aluminium is in progress. Many of the sections are already made, but more are needed before it can be assembled and operated.
Says Langa: “Once the master sample is assembled, a further 10 units will be built. The 10 units will then be subjected to rigorous regulatory compliance activities required for medical devices, whilst in parallel establishing viability and safety of the device in near-real world conditions. This project illustrates how important engagement between the university and industry is when attempting to commercialise a technological innovation. Technology transfer, ie taking a product to market, is a multi-faceted process.”
Operator and builder Saul Nkhata (Top and middle) and designer Dominic White (Above) demonstrating the three modes of the chair, with the proof-ofconcept steel prototype. This prototype doesn’t have a medical-specification mattress yet. The next version, the master sample, will be made from light-weight aluminium, and it will have a matress and safety straps, as well as other advanced features.
Stairchair
Wheelchair
Stretcher
Photos by Therese van Wyk
BOOKS
Books written by UJ researchers in 2023
Global Industrial Impacts of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa
By
Joan Nyika and Megersa Olumana Dinka
Sub-Saharan Africa is facing a significant environmental challenge with heavy metal pollution in its soil, which threatens industrialization, agricultural productivity, and natural ecosystems. The book provides valuable insights into the causes and consequences of soil contamination, offering practical guidance on assessment techniques, pollutant characterization, and strategies for control and prevention.
Responsible Industry 4.0 A Framework for HumanCentered Artificial Intelligence
By David Mhlanga
This book focuses on Humancentred AI and the responsible deployment of diverse technologies for achieving sustainable development. It examines why the human-centred approach is so crucial to long-term success. It underlines the definition of human-centred AI and its importance in creating sustainability and resilience.
A Maintenance Management Framework for Municipal Buildings in Developing Economies
By Babatunde Fatai Ogunbayo, Clinton Aigbavboa, and Wellington Thwala
This book is an essential manual for policymakers in the education sector, built environment, construction industry, facility maintenance, facility management and consultants at government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) charged with maintenance management of public infrastructures and assets.
Deciphering outlier success
The global citrus export industry based in South Africa is a surprising outlier in many ways, not least for its vigorous growth. Somehow, the diverse industry has emerged as the second biggest in the world after Spain, says Ms Shingie Chisoro.
Researchers Ms Shingie Chisoro and Prof Simon Roberts unpack the key factors driving this exceptional success in a study published in the European Journal of Development Research. Chisoro is a PhD candidate and Roberts the Lead Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), within the College of Business & Economics at the University of Johannesburg.
Resilient coalition of growers
Most unusual among the agriculture industries in South Africa, the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA) has managed to stay intact and align a coalition of 1200 diverse growers. It was founded in 1997, after shock liberalisation by the first democratic government in South Africa. In the almost 30 years
since, it has served all the export citrus growers – since exporting citrus growers are mandated to register with the CGA.
The ability of the growers to come together and align their interests, to form the CGA, with the common goal to be competitive in export markets, is a key success factor for the industry. That coordination and collective organisation through the industry body is fundamental to the industry’s success.
Growers driving their industry
Farming in African economies means struggle. All the risk and associated costs in the value chain ultimately goes back to the growers. Fruit can obviously only be marketed if it has been grown. Growing requires upfront
investment in land preparation, planting material, farm and irrigation infrastructure and systems, chemicals, and continuous improvements in farming methods and technologies to produce quality fruit.
The CGA is doing well in making sure the growers get to drive the industry and succeed. Organisation through the industry body has ensured that the interests of the most diversified and dispersed value chain participants are represented. Also, that they have collective “grower-power” to shape industry developments and investments for longer-term value creation.
Business and risk model
In value chains, stakeholders downstream from growers (logistics, sales and marketing) tend to appropriate more value, while the grower gets the least value despite often investing the most. The CGA’s pursuit of value for growers has however created a different business risk and opportunity model for citrus growers in South Africa, compared to other agriculture industries.
Citrus growers own their fruit right through the value chain up until the final sale to overseas export markets, which is different from the case of a dairy farmer or maize (corn) miller. It then follows that if there is a hailstorm, drought, or war, the risk goes back to the citrus grower. But if market prices increase, the grower benefits also.
The CGA is trying to develop the systems and structures to ensure that value goes back to the grower. They do this to improve transparency in the value chain, in the distribution of economic rents – those costs charged in the value chain without any accompanying productivity or value-add.
Independent resources
To fund industry activities, the citrus growers have collectively agreed to a statutory export levy mandated by the National Agricultural Marketing Council. This is similar to other industries such as wine exports from South Africa. Each citrus exporter in South Africa contributes to the industry levy, charged per carton of exported fruit. In this way, the CGA has access to ongoing and independent resources.
At the time of writing the levy is ZAR 1,64 per 15kg carton, which equates to USD 0,09 per 33 pound carton. Leveraging industry export levies, the CGA has been able to invest in research and development, market access, and key inputs for export success.
In-house R&D for entrepreneurial response
A very strong in-house technical and research capacity gives the CGA the ability to respond quickly and independently to the requirements and changes in export markets. The CGA has placed research and development (R&D) at the centre of the industry. They are also smart in how they leverage their R&D to be entrepreneurial in developing key inputs in new or improved cultivars, and crop protection products for established and new pests.
Given the high levels of concentration at the inputs level, the CGA keeps up its efforts to ensure competitive rivalry to bring somewhat cheaper inputs to the grower.
It also means the CGA has to develop its own capabilities to play in this field. Their in-house R&D means that they can more quickly respond to the demands of importing countries and concerns about possible pests and diseases that could block exports, compared to other
GROWERS PRESENTED
PACKHOUSES AND INSPECTION
SERVICES EXPORT MARKETING AGENTS & EXPORT MARKETS
The citrus export value chain in South Africa
The standards and requirements of export markets, in particular EU supermarkets, are the key driver of the citrus industry’s performance in South Africa. These include ensuring a reliable supply of high-quality, disease-free fruit with a long shelf life, and responding to changing international preferences. Meeting these requirements creates value through higher prices realised from fresh fruit exports.
To comply with export standards and requirements, the citrus industry is characterised by strong local linkages, shared institutional capabilities, and coordination across key activities in the value chain. The relationships and linkages, spanning marketing companies and packhouses, cultivar and crop protection companies, nurseries through to growers enable the industry to integrate export markets with developments from cultivars through to growing, packing and marketing.
Graphic by Shingie Chisoro, Simon Roberts, Therese van Wyk and UJ Graphics.
Chisoro is a PhD candidate and Roberts the Lead Researcher at the Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED), within the College of Business & Economics at the University of Johannesburg.
industries in South Africa that outsource theirs to a government research institution.
Industry drives growth strategy
As an export industry, the CGA is dependent on the national South African government to open doors globally. Market access to export countries, ports, and logistics infrastructure all need to be facilitated by the government. The collective organization through the industry body has served to strengthen the growers’ position in relation to the government. This has ensured constructive engagement between the industry and the government. The citrus export industry in South Africa drives its own growth strategy, in collaboration with the government. The industry has been proactive in driving industry developments and ensuring longterm value creation.
Responsive to government priorities
In South Africa, the form of segregation known as apartheid was dismantled with the first democratic election in 1994. However, the exclusion of Black people from financial, business and agricultural activities created by apartheid is still an unfortunate reality for many. In this context, building a sustainable industry in South Africa required the inclusion of previously excluded Black farmers and the balancing of different interests, to sustain a broad and stable coalition of players and stakeholders.
In response, the CGA developed supporting structures and institutions to include Black growers. Not only for local production, but also to encourage them to supply to export markets. A fifth of the governmentmandated export levy goes to develop Black farmers. In this way, government priorities do influence the CGA’s resources and activities. However, more needs to be done to include Black growers, but the industry is making progress.
Expanding from national to regional
The CGA has not only managed to stay intact since 1997, it has also grown beyond a national industry body, expanding into neighbouring countries. The CGA of Southern Africa serves Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe as well. The regional coalition allows for the transfer of knowledge and technology to the southern African citrus growers and their service agents, leveraging the technical capacity of the CGA. The CGA as a regional coalition of growers serves to facilitate exports on a regional basis into global markets. Furthermore, the regional coalition is important for ensuring the biosecurity of the Southern African citrus industry and to control for pests and diseases. For example, if there is a disease in Zimbabwe, it will not destroy South Africa and the other countries, because their biosecurity measures can curb it quickly enough, conclude Chisoro and Roberts.
Researchers Ms Shingie Chisoro (Left) and Prof Simon Roberts (Right).
Banks in developed countries sport sophisticated Anti-Money Laundering measures. But profits from illegal wildlife trafficking continue to enter the global financial system. New AML measures are needed, says Dr Cayle Lupton.
Transnational cooperation for endangered wildlife
Dehorned rhino near Pretoria, South Africa. Photo by Russel Towers at Pexels.com
The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a fast-growing ‘financial portfolio’ within the larger illegal, violent, parallel transnational global economy. As such, it creates state-level security and development risks, especially in source countries. IWT is also known as wildlife trafficking, which includes the illicit trade of animals and plants, and derivative products such as pangolin scales, rhino horn, elephant ivory, lion and tiger bones, and leopard pelts.
But many highly developed countries signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), are yet to implement a crucial legal instrument to prosecute IWT and the associated financial flows more effectively, says Dr Cayle Lupton. The same countries also happen to be signatories of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
Lupton has published the study ‘Illegal wildlife trade: the critical role of the banking sector in combating money laundering’ in the Journal of Money Laundering Control.
Lupton is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Johannesburg, a certified anti-money laundering (AML) specialist and an attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
Complex techniques
Developed countries are having mixed results in curbing transnational money laundering in general and IWT in particular, says Lupton. There are reasons for that.
“International IWT operations are difficult to detect and disrupt. Investigations are complicated by the cross-border movement of wildlife or derivatives,” says Lupton. “Also, IWT operators use complex money laundering techniques involving large amounts of cash, and front and shell companies.”
Making AML progress
Some countries are making significant progress in their financial systems though, says Lupton, and a good example is Singapore. Also, he says the UK and Australia are examples of countries gaining major ground in sufficiently meeting most of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other illicit financial flows.
Exploiting vulnerabilities
However, IWT operators exploit vulnerabilities in developed countries. This is fuelled, says Lupton, by the surprising number of highly developed countries in Western Europe which are signatories to CITES, but still haven’t created laws to make IWT a predicate offense for money laundering. The majority of developing countries don’t have such laws either. This is often the case where there are ‘boots on the ground’ physically combating IWT in areas with endangered species, he adds.
Taking IWT seriously
Despite wildlife trafficking growing into one of the biggest criminal industries in the world, it is not prioritised in the same way as drug or people trafficking by governments and financial institutions, says Lupton. Many countries still don’t treat IWT as a serious crime, especially countries that are not regarded as source or transit destinations. As IWT risks are unique, they require special resources in their mitigation, including focused training, case studies and risk indicators specific to IWT.
Predicate offence
As a first step, many countries need to promulgate laws so that illegal wildlife trade becomes a predicate offence for money laundering, says Lupton. This can be
Artistic impression of the number of countries where Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) aka wildlife trafficking, is not yet a predicate offence for money laundering (ML)
Graphic by Therese van Wyk
Many developed countries who signed up to CITES, are yet to implement a legal instrument needed to prosecute illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) and its financial flows more effectively, says Dr Cayle Lupton, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Johannesburg.
achieved in at least two different ways, says Lupton. Firstly, laws may be formulated to refer explicitly to wildlife trafficking as a predicate offence. This is the case in the USA, where the Eliminate, Neutralize and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act (END Act) allows USA prosecutors to treat wildlife trafficking as a predicate offense for money laundering.
Secondly, AML laws may be formulated in such a way that an inference can be drawn to wildlife trafficking as a predicate offence. In these instances, provisions are usually formulated widely so that all criminal offences are regarded as predicated offences.
“Ultimately, banks, investment companies, real estate companies and other privately owned organisations must have a legal obligation to monitor their financial systems for signs of money laundering specific to IWT,” he adds, “failing which there should be statutory penalties for non-compliance. In general, penalties drive compliance.”
Sharing intelligence
The next step is for banks and other organisations to share information quickly and efficiently about
transactions possibly linked to IWT. In this regard, FATF recommendation 24 requires countries to ensure that competent authorities have access to adequate, accurate and up-to-date information on the true owners of companies. This is required to combat the use of front and shell companies to hide money laundering.
Combining the two steps create new options to prosecute IWT, he says. “In my view, banks are particularly well positioned to enable cooperation between themselves in the investigation of transnational IWT financial flows. Banks can leverage their existing domestic, regional and international networks. If they share financial intelligence quickly and effectively, that can support the investigations of law enforcement agencies. “Such shared information can also assist in the freezing and confiscation of laundered funds or property connected to IWT,” says Lupton.
Overall, curbing IWT not only protects endangered species and the global financial system but can also boost sustainable local development and legal job creation. Future sources of medicines, and cultural practices which regard endangered animals as sacred can also be preserved, he concludes.
Photo by Therese van Wyk
Dr Cayle Lupton, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, UJ.
AWARDS
To UJ researchers, June to November 2023
Prof Umesh Ramnarain
Elected Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF)
Prof Umesh Ramnarain’s research focus is on inquiry teaching and learning, and its uptake in South African classrooms characterised by diversity and complexity in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic or environmental factors. The knowledge base he has built has important implications at both the national and international levels, especially in terms of inquiry teaching in underprivileged schools. He taught science and mathematics at high schools for sixteen years. At the same time, he furthered his studies in education, gaining a Master of Education degree and then a PhD focusing on implementation of scientific investigations at Grade 9 with particular reference to the relationship between learner autonomy and teacher support.
Prof Salim Vally
Elected Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF)
Prof Vally is the DHET-NRF SARCHI Chair in Community, Adult and Worker Education. His academic interests include education and social policy as they relate to social class, racism, transformation, social justice, human rights and democracy. He has an abiding interest in linking academic scholarship with societal concerns, community participation and global solidarity. He studied at the universities of York, Wits and KwaZulu-Natal, was previously a school teacher and a trade unionist before joining the Wits Education Policy Unit in 1994. He was a visiting lecturer at York and Columbia. Vally joined UJ in 2009 and was the director of CERT for 12 years. He serves on the boards of various professional and non-governmental organisations and academic journals, is active in various social movements and solidarity organisations and is a regular commentator in the media.
Prof Oluwafemi Adebo
Elected Fellow of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)
Prof Adebo is the Deputy HOD (Research) in the UJ Biotechnology and Food Technology Department, where he lectures and mentors students and postdocs. He leads the Food Innovation Research Group, involved with improvement of various traditional food processes. His focus is on enhancing food health-promoting constituents, developing nutrient-dense foods and adding value to underutilized food sources using conventional and innovative approaches, including 3D food printing. The related SDG goals are Zero Hunger as well as Good Health and Well-being. He has received grants and published over 100 peer-reviewed journals, 23 book chapters, and is the lead editor of a book, all covering different facets of Food Science & Technology.
AWARDS
WINNER – Lifetime Achiever 2023 HER-SA HEWL Awards
Finalist & 1st Runner-up, 2023 SAWiSA awards
Distinguished Woman Researchers, Natural and Engineering Sciences
Prof Heidi Abrahamse
Photodynamic Therapy, Photobio-modulation, Cancer, Stem Cell Therapy
Abrahamse is the Director of the UJ Laser Research Centre. The Centre focuses on Photodynamic therapy aimed at the treatment of cancer and Photobio-modulation for regenerative medicine. In Photodynamic therapy they develop multicomponent photo-chemotherapeutic drugs, linking nanoparticles, photosensitizers and antibodies.
This improves the absorbance and specificity of a drug for cancer and cancer stem cells. Then they use laser irradiation on themulticomponent drug to improve the effectiveness of the treatment modality.
The other major technique they research is Photobiomodulation. There they use laser irradiation to enhance adipose-derived (fat) stem cell differentiation into several other cell types such as bone, smooth muscle and nerve cells.
WINNER – 2023 NRF Research Excellence Award
for Early Career/Emerging Researchers in the Female Engineering category
Dr Thandiwe Sithole
Upcycling of Industrial Waste (Valorisation of Waste), Circular Economy, Wastewater Treatment
Dr Thandiwe Sithole is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her research is groundbreaking and addresses key Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water and sanitation, industry innovation and infrastructure, and responsible consumption and production.
With over 15 esteemed international research partners, her work has significant national and global relevance.
She is committed to promoting women in science and engineering and advancing previously disadvantaged individuals. Dr Sithole has authored or co-authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications and filed a patent, solidifying her reputation as a prolific and influential researcher. Her contributions to chemical engineering make her a trailblazer in the field.
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Editorial Team
Editorial Director: Dr Ndivhuwo Luruli
Deputy Editorial Director: Ms Nthabiseng Nhlapo
Subediting and Proofreading: The featured UJ researchers
Design and layout: UJ Graphic Design Studio
Editor, Feature Writer, Graphics, Photography of researchers and TTO projects: Ms Therese van Wyk
Eduardo Villa Sculpture, UJ Auckland Park Kingsway Campus (Photo by Ian Harverson)