Wesly Mokomele recently graduated with his BSC in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management. We chatted to him about his future studies.

What did you study and why did you choose the field?

I studied BSc in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management. I grew up in a typical cattle farming environment and I have always been interested in agriculture and livestock. I find agribusiness and supply chains interesting, and I think it is an area that has not really been explored properly in South Africa which is why I chose to study it further.

Can you explain your research?

My research deals with the fragilities in the red meat sector. The red meat value chain is the most sensitive value chain in South Africa, and it faces daily market fluctuations such as price volatility and a centralized power system in which profit margins are not distributed uniformly in the chain. It looks at uncertainties caused by black swan events, for example, the implications of COVID-19 on the red meat sector. My research will help to identify the factors that cause the increase in fragilities and uncertainties, via a stress testing method which is mostly used by banks and other financial institutions. To do this, I will assemble a sub-set of value chain players in the red meat sector using a polygon structure which is developed with the final sub-indexes values of each player in the value chain. These values encompass the overall fragilities and explain them.

How does your degree prepare you for your future?

My master's degree in agricultural economics, specializing in the agricultural supply chain will prepare me for analysing market supply chain trends since I have a strong interest in the deal-making industry whereby the supply chain is a major requirement to develop a career in deal-making and any related professions that deal with portfolio management, beverage and food industry. I, therefore, feel confident that it will prepare me for the future in that department.

What lessons have learned while studying that you can pass on to the younger generation?

Networking is very important. Students must develop their LinkedIn profiles as early as possible.

Do you think the youth should be interested in agriculture?

There are several reasons why the youth should be interested in agriculture. Agricultural economics, especially supply chain management is a broad route in agriculture and it consists of a lot of career opportunities with a lot of perks. Agricultural and the general supply chain management needs experts who can analyze international trade, down to the local trade to ensure that South Africa will develop as a nation. South Africa is not in isolation when it comes to the trade and supply chain. For example, Ukraine is known as the largest export of wheat, so any disruption in the wheat economy in Ukraine leads to higher prices in wheat which influence the bread market in many parts of the world, especially in South Africa. The industry is extremely important and the youth need to play their role in it.