Meet the team

Currently the Network and Research Manager for FSNet-Africa, Dr Elizabeth Mkandawire has a PhD in Rural Development Planning. Her research and publications have focused on integrating gender in nutrition policy, and especially on men’s involvement in maternal and child health. 

Over the past several years, Dr Mkandawire has been involved in numerous food security and nutrition-related activities, including research work for the Feed the Future Food Security Policy Innovation Lab at the University of Pretoria. As part of the Lab, she led the gender and nutrition case study conducted in Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Ntcheu, Malawi, where she researched men’s involvement in maternal and child nutrition. She has also contributed to the CAADP process in several African countries. She played a central role in preparing a scoping report for Malawi for the International Food Policy Research Institute Compact 2025 initiative.

Ms Esley van der Berg graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English and Psychology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She continued her studies at the University of the Free State, obtaining two honours degrees with distinction – one in Psychology and another in Practical Theology. She further honed her language editing skills by completing a copy-editing course through the University of Cape Town.

Before joining the FSNet-Africa team, Esley worked as an independent contractor specialising in language editing of research and academic texts as well as offering research support services such as assistance with qualitative data analysis, data capturing, desktop research, transcription, translation, and general administrative and project management support.

Dr Nadia Fouché is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (University of Pretoria). She has several years’ experience working as an independent research consultant, with a special interest in quantitative data analysis and the analysis of big data. In her capacity as a quantitative analyst, she has worked on numerous research and evaluation projects in collaboration with universities and private companies across South Africa.

Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa (PhD Agricultural Economics) is a Postdoctoral Fellow with FSNet-Africa at the University of Pretoria. She previously worked as a Researcher for the Centre of Collaboration on the economics of agricultural research and development. Colleta has been part of an inter-institutional team of scientists analysing the Land Reform’s Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy farms. Part of her experience to date includes investment analysis and research project management.

Dr Eness Paidamoyo Mutsvangwa-Sammie (DPhil Agricultural Innovations) is a Postdoctoral Fellow with FSNet-Africa at the University of Pretoria. She has been awarded several fellowships, including the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Future Africa Early Career Research Leader Fellowship (ECRLF). Eness has previously worked as a Senior Lecturer at Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST); Interim Programs Coordinator at WaterNet; and Scientific Officer at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)-Bulawayo. She is passionate about training and capacity building, especially for livelihoods empowerment in rural communities. This entails making use of innovative interventions to promote inclusive economic growth and improve the welfare of marginalised people and communities.

Jonathan Tager works in the International Strategic Partnerships office at the University of Pretoria as a Research Assistant and as Executive Assistant to Prof Frans Swanepoel. Since 2020 he has been seconded to spend half his time working within the broader UP sustainability portfolio, including sustainability reporting and the UN Sustainable Solutions Development Network (SDSN). He holds a BA in Linguistics and French and a BA(Hons) in Applied Linguistics. He is currently a Master’s student in the Unit for Creative Writing in the Department of English at UP.

Ms. Marilie Pretorius is a postdoctoral fellow with the Food Systems Research Network for Africa (FSNet-Africa) at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She holds a PhD in Zoology, with the focus of her doctoral study being on the effects of environmental degradation due to metal pollution on the African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and its associated parasite species (Lamproglena clariae) from the Vaal River, South Africa.

Marilie’s research interests include animal health, parasitology, zoology, entomology, and agricultural ecology. She has previously studied ectoparasite tolerance between Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle in South Africa and completed an internship with the Brahman Breeders Association of South Africa. She grew up in a multigenerational farming family, resulting in respect for and interest in the natural world. In her spare time, Marilie is a nature enthusiast that enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time on her family’s farm.

Ms Zethu Mkhwanazi is a PhD student in the Humanities Faculty of the University of Pretoria and is also an administrative assistant for FSNet-Africa. She is interested in plant production, plant protection, sustainable agriculture, agricultural extension, as well as food safety policy and governance.

Her research focuses on understanding the gaps and weaknesses in the food safety governance structure. She has a particular interest in understanding the roles of different stakeholders in shaping and influencing food safety policy outcomes.

Andrea du Toit is a PhD student in Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She works as a research assistant at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship and as the Managing Editor of ESI Press. Previously, she has worked as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Political Science and as a research assistant in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension, and Rural Development. She is passionate about understanding the socio-economic challenges that plague society and working towards overcoming these challenges through research and innovation. In her spare time, she volunteers at animal shelters.

Rachel Mkandawire has just completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Pathology from the University of Pretoria. She also holds a Master of Science in Crop Protection from Ghent University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from Bunda College of Agriculture. Her interests lie in agriculture research and development. She has over 15 years of experience working in food security, farmer participatory research, disaster management, designing and carrying out experiments, writing technical reports, writing policy reviews, opinion pieces on science and development, policy and communication, and agriculture extension in low-resource communities. She is currently working as a Policy and Research Analyst for Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) where she is working on the Food Systems Transformation for One Health Project (FoSTA- Health) and ARUA-FSNET initiatives and is actively involved in Policy and stakeholder engagement for four countries (Malawi, South Africa Tanzania, and Zambia). She is also involved in policy and advocacy in shifting the region’s focus towards Food Systems’ approach.