Dr. Charl van der Merwe – Director

Charl started his career in 1997 at Heelbo Boerdery in the Eastern Free State as Agricultural Economist. After two years at the Department of Agriculture, he joined MKB (Moorreesburgse Koringboere) as Agricultural Economist in 2000. He was promoted to Manager: Commodities in 2004 and formed part of the senior management team of MKB.

Between 2004 and 2015 he worked in the grain and storage industry until joining Tiger Brands in 2015 where he was responsible for the procuring of 46 different commodities that included vegetables, fruit, dry beans and groundnuts. He has extensive experience of the whole agricultural value chain that includes primary production, financing, BEE-projects, storage and handling, procurement, compliance, marketing and agri processing.

Charl holds a PhD in Agricultural Management from the University of the Free State and has completed the Senior Management Course at Stellenbosch University and the Advance Project Management Course at the University of North West (Potchefstroom).
He is a qualified SAFEX broker, completed the silo management course and various grading courses.

He served on various committees and workgroups that include:

• Winter Rainfall Research Committee of Grain SA

• Swartland Kleingraan Ontwikkelingsgroep (Chairman)

• Technical Committee of the Swartland Crop Rotation Trail

• Groundnut Forum

• SAFVCA Board of Directors

• SAFVCEC Board of Directors

• GOSA – Cape (Management)

• The Conservation Workgroup of the Department of Agriculture

• Eastern Africa Grading Workgroup

• Represented South Africa on the World Processing Tomato Council

• Countries visited: Australia, China, Tanzania, USA, Chile and Greece
  (Procurement of Commodities and visiting farms and agri businesses)