On 5 September 2019, the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development graduated three more PhD students to bring the Department’s total to seven PhD graduates for the year. The three brilliant minds crowned in red were Dr Raphael Gitau Kanyingi supervised by Prof Ferdi Meyer (Modelling trends in spatial market integration in the post-liberalized era: a case of maize markets across surplus and deficit regions in Kenya), Dr Clement Kweku Kyei supervised by Prof Rashid Hassan (Economy-wide implications of water quality management policies: A case of the Olifants river basin, South Africa), and Dr Rudo Eusebia Makunike supervised by Prof Johann Kirsten (Large-scale investment in African farmland and its potential role in unlocking smallholder agricultural growth: case studies from Zambia).

In addition to the three dressed in red, we also graduated three MSc(Agric) Agricultural Economics students; Tulumbe Cheelo, Lucinda Nosizo Dlamini, and Mazwane Sukoluhle. And two BAgric Honours in Extention students; Thulile Cheryl Madonsela, and Ruth Mirika Nyamambi.

We are grateful for the supervisors, colleagues, family and friends that supported these students throughout their studies, and we wish these graduates all the best for bright futures ahead.