AgriSETA Learner Connect: Meet a research scientist

By

Dawn Noemdoe

7th Aug 2020

As a city boy, Dr Igshaan Samuels (41) never imagined a career in agriculture. A keen interest in the environment led to studies in zoology and botany at the University of the Western Cape, and today he’s an agricultural champion.

Upon completing his Master’s degree, he completed his PhD in botany at the University of Cape Town thanks to the support from the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). Today, he is a senior research scientist in rangeland ecology and management at the ARC.

And no, becoming a research scientist doesn’t mean you’ll have your head buried in books all day. Just ask Samuels! He’ll tell you that some of his work also involves travelling to different parts of the country to meet farmers and other agriculturalists.

If this career interests you, there are links below to find out more about how you can get involved. Through AgriSETA Learner Connect we want to help guide high school learners fill the scarce and critical jobs in the agricultural sector. Over the next few weeks, we will explore many more agricultural careers for which there is a big demand.

And don’t worry, deciding on a career does not have to be as scary as it sounds. Find something you’re passionate about and engage with someone like Dr Igshaan Samuels working in the sector…click here for more information https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/agriseta-learner-connect-meet-a-research-scientist/