Raised in the village of Shimawusa in Giyani, Limpopo, Dr Tlangelani Baloyi’s passion for agriculture began beside his mother in the local irrigation scheme. What started as a chore became a lifelong drive to help strengthen South Africa’s food security.
With a BSc in plant production from the University of Limpopo and a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Pretoria, Baloyi’s career has spanned research, training, and mentoring.
A pivotal moment came when the Maize Trust Bursary Scheme enabled him to complete his PhD at the University of the Free State, despite the financial strain of part-time research.
The bursary did more than fund his studies; it opened doors to national and international platforms. After earning his PhD, Baloyi was involved in training government extension officers, supporting emerging farmers, and working with organisations like EcoOperation and the Gauteng Department of Agriculture.
These roles allowed him to support smallholder farmers with food safety standards, market access, and agribusiness incubation.
He later participated in Improved Maize for African Soils, a Gates Foundation-funded project that took him across the continent, from Kenya to Zimbabwe and Uganda.
“Having a PhD opens doors, and the Maize Trust made that possible,” he says.
Today, as a full-time lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology, Baloyi is shaping the next generation of agricultural scientists. He supervises postgraduate research, oversees faculty-level proposals, and works tirelessly to show young people the true value of agriculture.
“Agriculture is the cornerstone of every economy. The sky is the limit: participate and be part of building a food-secure South Africa,” he adds.
Through his teaching, mentorship, and lived example, Baloyi continues to grow the impact of a single bursary, planting seeds of change wherever he goes.
For more information on the Maize Trust visit agrimanage.co.za.
