Arabfields, Sana Dib, Financial Correspondent, Johannesburg, South Africa —  For Dr Marinda Visser, the path into agriculture began far from South Africa’s major research centres. Raised in a small town in the Northern Cape, she grew up curious about the world beyond her immediate surroundings and eventually turned that curiosity into a career spanning more than two decades in agricultural research, policy and industry.

Today, Visser serves as director of Strategic Projects and Partnerships in Agriculture at the University of Pretoria’s Innovation Africa@UP, where she works to bring researchers, government and the private sector closer together. Her career has taken her from laboratory research to senior government positions and industry leadership, giving her a broad view of the challenges facing South African agriculture.

Her interest in science developed early. As a child, she read about scientific discoveries and dreamed of understanding how the world worked. University was a major step in that journey. She became the first person in her family to attend university, studying biochemistry and microbiology at the University of the Western Cape before completing postgraduate studies in food microbiology and microbiology.

A scholarship from the Agricultural Research Council and the US Department of Agriculture later allowed her to pursue a PhD in plant pathology at the University of Pretoria. The opportunity also took her to the United States, an experience she says broadened her outlook and exposed her to new approaches to scientific research.

Her professional career began at the Agricultural Research Council as a plant pathologist. There, she developed a particular interest in soil health and diseases that can affect crops. That early experience eventually convinced her that agriculture was not simply another career option but a field in which science could have a direct impact on people’s livelihoods.

After several years in research, Visser moved into government, where she became director of Plant Health and later chief director of Plant Production and Health at the Department of Agriculture. The move gave her a different perspective on the sector, particularly on how regulation and government policy can determine market access and influence the ability of farmers and businesses to grow.

She later joined the grain industry and managed the Grain Research and Policy Centre at Grain SA. During that period, she helped establish research partnerships bringing together universities, seed companies and public research institutions. Her work covered grain and oilseed commodities and placed greater emphasis on cooperation between organisations that had often operated separately.

One of the initiatives she helped advance was a wheat-breeding platform aimed at strengthening South Africa’s wheat industry. She also helped establish networks focused on crop protection and climate resilience, bringing together specialists to address pests, diseases and the growing effects of climate change on grain production.

The scale of her experience is reflected in more than 20 years spent working across different parts of agriculture. Rather than remaining within a single scientific discipline, Visser has moved between research, government, industry and higher education, a career path that has increasingly positioned her as a link between technical knowledge and practical agricultural needs.

Her work has also placed young people at the centre of her vision for the sector. At Grain SA, she was involved in bursaries, internships and training programmes for emerging farmers. She believes developing skills is becoming increasingly urgent as experienced professionals leave the industry and parts of the agricultural workforce face an ageing skills base.

That concern could become more significant in the years ahead. If South Africa is to expand agricultural exports, Visser argues that the country will need stronger technical capacity in areas such as regulation, plant health, animal health and trade. Based on the direction of her work, greater cooperation between universities, government and agricultural companies is likely to become an increasingly important part of that effort.

Her current position at Innovation Africa@UP reflects that approach. The goal is to build longer-term partnerships capable of supporting research programmes and centres focused on national priorities, including biosecurity and plant and animal health.

Biosecurity is particularly important for a country seeking to expand agricultural trade. The introduction of a major pest or disease can affect production, exports and market confidence, making cooperation between farmers, scientists, regulators and industry essential. Visser believes the system works best when those groups communicate rather than operate in isolation.

Her own career offers a practical example of the value of those connections. She credits relationships and mentors with helping her navigate different stages of her professional life. One of her longstanding mentors is Jannie de Villiers, the former CEO of Grain SA, whom she continues to approach for advice on both professional and personal matters.

She also points to the influence of her parents, who taught her discipline and responsibility while encouraging their children to pursue opportunities beyond their immediate circumstances. Those lessons have remained important throughout her career.

In 2025, Visser was recognised by Future Agri Perspectives as a woman who had played a pioneering role in agriculture and helped create opportunities for the next generation of leaders. The recognition came as South Africa’s agricultural sector faced growing pressure to modernise while maintaining its ability to compete internationally.

Looking ahead, the direction of Visser’s work suggests that agriculture will increasingly depend on partnerships rather than isolated institutions. Research will need to respond more quickly to climate risks, biosecurity threats and changing market requirements, while universities and industry are likely to face greater pressure to produce skills that can be applied directly on farms and throughout agricultural supply chains.

For Visser, the future of South African agriculture is ultimately about people as much as technology or production. A stronger export sector will require young scientists, skilled regulators, trained farmers and professionals capable of working across institutional boundaries.

The girl who once looked beyond the borders of a small Northern Cape town has spent her career helping others do the same. More than 20 years after entering the agricultural sector, her focus has shifted from building her own career to creating the networks and opportunities that could shape the next generation of South African agriculture.