Aquaponics SA
The Aquaponics Association of Southern Africa
Meet The Team
The current Executive Committee of Aquaponics SA is operated by the following dedicated Members who were voted into these positions:
Chairman: Neale Strauch
Neale, a Systems Engineer has had an interest in farming as a young man but was only developed once his son studied Crop Production in which he has a Degree and started farming 12 years ago.
A natural interest in farming methods, combined with the drive to measure created an intense fondness in the Science of Aquaponics. His first system built in his back yard in the suburbs of Pretoria is an NFT system with Tilapia and a 1000 plants 7 years ago, grew to new improved NFT system with trout and 6000 plants.
He now owns a modern commercial facility to the west of Pretoria. which grows every year, He now has a Trout fish house feeding three tunnels with three more in planning by the end of March 2020
Previously the Deputy Chair Neale has was redeployed within the the association as the Public Relations Officer and was elected Chairman in 2018 and again in 2019 for the period 2019-2020. He can be contacted at Neale@thelabsa.com
Vice Chairman: Lance Quiding.
Lance who is the Director, Founder and Shareholder of Integrated Aquaculture, has had a keen interest in Aquaculture since 1998 since investigating the farming of catfish in Naboomspruit Limpopo.
In 2010 discovered Aquaponics and successfully established various systems growing Tilapia Mosambicus, lettuce and herbs. The various designs included entry level home units to container farms.
His Interest grew into RAS (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems) Tilapia farming successfully growing Tilapia Niloticus to various sizes and selling to both the informal and formal sectors.
Combining RAS with vegetable production in an African context has led to Lance building a sustainable commercial Aqauponics business in the Magaliesburg Valley in Gauteng.
Lance was elected as the Public Relations Officer for the Aquaponics Association of SA at the AGM held on the 28th October 2018 and was redeployed as the Vice Chair on 16 November 1029, he can be contacted at lance@inteaqua.co.za or via his website at www.integratedaquaculture.co.za
Public Relations Officer: Justin Hess.
Justin started his career in the banking industry, working around the world for some of the largest financial institutions. In 2015 he started Ichthys Aquaponics in Midrand, South Africa. The vision was to develop aquaponics, create a support base for farmers and make it relevant for Africa. Ichthys Aquaponics is now one of the largest commercial aquaponics farms in Africa, taking up the best part of 2 acres of land and producing fresh produce for most of the major retailers in Johannesburg under the new brand “Ichthys Fresh”. In addition Ichthys has assisted in the construction of highly successful aquaponics farms all over Africa.
Justin is fully committed to seeing aquaponics reach even the poorest of communities in a sustainable manner – and the landscape of farming changing for the better in Africa. This is supported by the Ichthys Foundation which is established to offer free training and mentorship to those who can’t afford it. He can be Contacted at justin@aquaponics.africa or via his website www.aquaponics.africa
Secretary: Louis Kuys.
Owner and operator of Forest Friends Pty (Ltd) and working as a subsea inspection coordinator for more than 8 years he always had a passion for the environment, healthy food and food security.
Demand is increasing and resources are declining, that is why it is more important than ever to consider carefully where we source the food we use to fuel our bodies.
For years, Louis and his wife toyed with the idea of producing our own nutritious food and living off the grid. Finally, in early 2016, they decided to break new ground with an urban aquaponic farming venture.
Louis says “I stumbled upon the aquaponic concept and it blew my mind completely. I have been researching and planning aquaponic systems since 2014.”
Special Projects: Martin Fick.
Martin Fick, owner and Director of Practical Aquaponics SA (Pty) LTD based in Salem, near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, is passionate about food quality, Chemical free food production systems development and Fly-fishing.
As owner and Managing Director of a number of Companies
in South Africa, he established Practical Aquaponics (PTY) LTD,
also known as HPA in 2012 as a division of his Farming
business with the intention to design, supply and install proven
modular cost effective, sustainable, Chemical-Free food
production systems in the Southern African region. With a
good knowledge of the Sub Saharan conditions, cultures,
languages, lifestyles and challenges, he has sought to
understand experimentally and communicate the driving
principles of Aquaponics to the growing number of people
who are concerned about food quality and ethical production.
Martin is a specialist Aquaponics Teacher, with official links to
the Biochemistry and Biotechnology Departments of both Rhodes University and NMMU. He has co-published scientifically peer-reviewed articles on a number of aspects relating to Aquaponics.
This ground-breaking work has established him as an authority in the implementation of empowerment and development projects in Southern Africa. Martin can be contacted at martin@practicalaquaponics.co.za or via his website www.practicalaquaponics.co.za
A Huge thank-you to the previous Members of the Executive
Previous, Secretary and Treasurer: Danie Reineke.
The Secretary and Treasurer positions were amalgamated at the 2018 AGM mainly because the tasks are overlapping functions. Danie served on the Exec since its inception in 2016.
Previous, Vice Chairman: Khumbudzo Godfrey Manyaga (KG)
KG is presently the Program Manager at INMED Partnerships for Children where he is Responsible for the development and management of the Adaptive Agriculture Program throughout the country through innovation and creativity in implementation and operations. He has a passion for consistently striving for the best performance in terms of program delivery and performance and educating disadvantaged communities in Aquaponics
KG has a B Inst Agrar (Bachelor of Agriculture Honours): Plant Production from the University of Pretoria and also graduated from the University of Venda with a Bachelor of Agriculture degree in 2005.
He has 7 years of intensive Aquaponics experience and has been very instrumental in leading the development of Aquaponics system, for both social upliftment and economic development, in 5 different provinces, mostly in rural disadvantaged communities.
He also attended courses in the Conduct Outcomes-based Assessments at ETDP SETA, Environmental Weed Control with, Plant Specialists cc and the Bio-Resource Programme with the KZN Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.
The extent of his passion and experience was rewarded in career highlights when he presented an oral paper titled Responding to the challenge of developing sustainable food sources through Aquaponics at the World Aquaculture Society 2017, an oral scientific paper titled Fruit and seed production of the invasive shrub Sambucus canadensis at the 38th National Annual Weeds Workshop in August 2010.
He wrote a combined Scientific Poster titled Herbicide effect on seed viability of pompom weed which was presented at the 42nd National Annual Conference of Grassland Society in 2007 and was Awarded a vice-chancellor’s merit award at the University of Venda in 2005.
Previous Chairman: Leslie Ter Morshuizen
Leslie was elected the first Chairman for the Association in 2016 and served till he stepped down in 2018.
His leadership and founding member of the association is greatly appreciated.
Leslie manages Aquaculture Innovations, a company specialising in consulting and training services to the fish farming industry in Africa. He has followed the development of the Aquaponics Industry since 1996 and assisted a number of clients to start their own Aquaponics Systems. In 2012 he erected a commercial / R&D Aquaponics Facility in Grahamstown to trial options and answer many of the unknowns in this fascinating world of Aquaponics.
Previous Secretary: Henk Stander
Henk who was elected at the founding AGM also served till 2018.
His networking facilitation has been of great value to the Association.
Henk professional affiliations include the Western Cape Trout Association (Vice chairman and secretary since 2006), Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa(Exfo Member),World Aquaculture Society, Trout Unlimited (USA), SA Tilapia Farmers Association. With over 21 years of experience in the field, he is an encyclopedia of knowledge and is commonly referred to as the go-to person for aquaculture knowledge in South Africa. In this time he has posted papers, appeared on countless radio shows and has given seminars at various international as well as local events.
