Dr Yolandi Schoeman
Area of expertise: Extreme ecosystems, extreme ecological engineering, ecological and nature-based engineering, urban ecology, engineering, and sustainability
Faculty/Department: Engineering Sciences: Ecological and Nature-Based Engineering
Dr Yolandi Schoeman is a globally recognised sustainability professional with key experience in the agricultural and agro-processing, tourism, water, textile, green economy, bio-economy, research and development, mining, heavy manufacturing, and engineering sectors. She has innovated and contributed to world-class sustainability and planetary health-related innovations and solutions, specifically in the USA, Europe, Russia, Australia, and Africa. She is a Brightest Young Minds (a Stellenbosch University initiative) and Austrian Leadership Programme (ALPS 18) alumna and an awardee of the Mail & Guardian's Young South Africans (2015), SEED, Inspiring Fifty, Green City Startup, and Eco-Logic initiatives. She was also the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme – South Africa (GCIP-SA) winner in 2016 and the GCIP-Global runner-up in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, in 2017. In addition, she was named runner-up in the World Green Cities Awards with the Pretoria East Urban Biosphere Reserve project in 2024.
Dr Schoeman’s work in ecological engineering spans two main areas: conventional and extreme ecological engineering. On the conventional side, she is focusing on projects such as designing constructed wetlands to treat water naturally, implementing urban greening initiatives to cool cities and manage stormwater, and regenerating various habitats to strengthen biodiversity. In terms of extreme ecological engineering, she focuses on developing innovative solutions for ecosystems that have been severely impacted by disasters such as industrial accidents or natural calamities.
Additionally, she is leading efforts in astro-ecological engineering, applying these principles to rehabilitate severely damaged terrestrial environments while exploring their potential for extraterrestrial applications, advancing both sustainability and ecological restoration.
Dr Schoeman holds a master's degree in environmental management (University of the Free State) and in integrated water management (Monash University) and completed her PhD at the University of the Free State in 2022. She completed a second PhD in Economic and Management Sciences at the North-West University in 2025. Her track record includes developing global solutions, understanding human-nature connections, delivering service excellence, creating entrepreneurial ecosystems, and building networks that continue to play a critical role in advancing planetary health. She also specialises in nexus accounting and deciphering coupled human and natural systems and regularly publishes in international journals to advance her fields of impact. In 2025, she was selected as a research scientist on the Spaceward Bound 2025 research expedition.
Contact details:
Telephone: 082 562 3621
E-mail: SchoemanY1@ufs.ac.za