Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Dirk Uys will be leaving his position as manager: Research, innovation and marketing at Potatoes SA to join the Andermatt Madumbi team in the role of product portfolio business lead.
Uys, who joined the Potatoes SA team in the autumn of 2022, will leave the organisation at the end of the month and start at the South African agricultural company in August 2025.
Willie Jacobs, CEO of Potatoes SA, said it’s a huge compliment to know that the potato industry’s people are in high demand in the private sector. “Dirk is a wonderful person, and on a personal level I wish him nothing but the best. He was a mentor for many at Potatoes SA, and his value to the industry is irreplaceable. I am certain that this is not the end, and that we will continue to collaborate with him in his new position.”
The hunt for a replacement will start soon, and Jacobs said it would be a tall order to find somebody who could fill Uys’ figuratively large shoes.
Significant contribution
During his time at Potatoes SA, Uys’ leadership made a big impact on research. He oversaw eleven soil-health trials and more than twelve cultivar trials across major production regions, guiding seed choice and agronomic best practices for growers.
His soil and sustainability initiatives will leave a lasting impression. He spearheaded multi-year trials on minimum tillage, cover crops, and rotation systems to strengthen soil biology, carbon content, and crop resilience. Additionally, he advocated the integration of soil health into industry systems to build long-term production sustainability.
Under Uys’ leadership, Potatoes SA also co-led a Department of Science and Innovation-funded project to tap ‘cull’ potatoes – transforming what was once waste into snack foods, frozen meals, and even substrates for insect-feed production. This project was run in collaboration with the University of Pretoria.
Industry outreach and awareness campaigns also blossomed under Uys, who actively represented Potatoes SA on continental platforms, notably presenting at the African Potato Association Conference in Malawi in December 2022.
Furthermore, he developed a strategy to boost national potato output from fewer than 2,6 million tonnes per annum to 3,2 million tonnes over five years, while protecting local processors and developing markets for lower-grade tubers. He was also a strong advocate for improved grading systems – including taste and cooking quality – and emphasised the integration of pest and disease modelling to curb financial risk.
Uys engaged with consumers at grassroots level through initiatives such as the Joburg Market and Soweto Marathon, where he personally participated and promoted potatoes as nutritious athlete fuel.
He also played a significant role in smallholder empowerment by supporting Potatoes SA’s Enterprise Development Programme, which strengthened emerging potato growers in the Eastern Cape and across South Africa through funding, training, and mentorship.
Innovation Symposium
Uys’ final contribution in his current role at Potatoes SA will be to lead this year’s Innovation Symposium, which takes place on 23 and 24 July.
The symposium will explore the next chapter of South Africa’s potato industry. It will focus on the latest developments in research and the ideas that are driving the evolution, innovation, and enablement of the industry’s growth. – Susan Marais, Plaas Media
