Dr Hlamalani Ngwenya is a lecturer at the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Extension and Rural Development at the University of the Free State. She holds the following qualifications: PhD in Sustainable Agriculture (University of Free State); Master of Consumer Sciences (Specialising Community Nutrition) and Honours degree in Home Economics; both from the University of Potchefstroom (now known as North-West University);  Bachelor of Education and Senior Secondary teacher’s diploma, both from the University of Zululand (now known University of KwaZulu-Natal).

Apart from teaching, which she is so passionate about, Dr Ngwenya has also worked as practitioner with international Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and private sector companies. Her professional journey started in 1992 and she held different positions and acquired wide range of skills and expertise in the broader Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security, Education and Health sectors. She held positions relating to Project Management; Knowledge Management; Skills Planning and skill Audits; 21^st Skills Development; Organisational Development & Change Management; Monitoring and Evaluation, Communications for Development; Community Mobilisation; Stakeholder Engagement, Policy Advocacy and Gender Mainstreaming and youth. 

She is a global citizen and has done assignments in more than 45 countries globally. She moderated more than 250 multi-stakeholder engagements including high-level expert panels and policy dialogues; seminars, strategic planning sessions, technical meetings and teambuilding workshops. 

She continues to contribute as a resource person to a wide range of Global, Continental, regional and organisations including: Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS);  African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS); International Food Policy Research Institute  (IFPRI);  African Union Development Agency- New Partnership for African Development  (AUDA-NEPAD); Regional Forum for (RUFORUM) and South African Society (SASAE); 

Some of her major highlights is the leading role she played the development of the New Extensionist Learning kit for GFRAS, which has become a global initiative influencing capacity development in Agricultural Extension. 

She currently serves as a board chair for the Citrus Industry Trust (CIT) and Ministerial Appointee; and as a board chair for the Regional Agricultural and Environmental Innovations Network (RAEIN-Africa). She is also an ambassador for the NUFFIELD International Farming scholars’ program. 

Peer reviewed publications

Esabu, A and Ngwenya, H (2019) Socio-economic factors influencing adoption of conservation agriculture in Moroto district, Uganda.  South African Journal of  Agricultural Extension. Vol. 47 No. 2, 2019: 105 - 117

Ncube, M., Madubula, N., Ngwenya, H., Zinyengere, N., Zhou, L., Francis, J. et al., (2016), ‘Climate change, household vulnerability and smart agriculture: The case of two South African provinces’, Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 8(2), Art. #182, 14 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v8i2.182 

Swaans, K., B. Cullen, A. van Rooyen, A. Adekunle, H. Ngwenya, Z. Lemma and S. Nederlof. (2013). Paper. Dealing with critical challenges in African innovation platforms: lessons for facilitation. Knowledge Management for Development Journal 9(3): 116-135 

Ngwenya, H. J and Hagmann, J (2011) Making Innovation systems work in Practice: Experience in integrating innovations, social learning and knowledge in innovation platforms. Knowledge Management for Development Journal, 7:1, 109-124 

Book Chapters

G Klein, H Ngwenya, E Chuma and J Hagmann. (2011). Developing leadership for Climate Change: An intergrated learning approach. In I, Mapaure, B.J., Mhango and D.K Mulenga (eds): Mitigation and Adaptation strategies to Climate Change. RAEIN- AFRICA, Namibia. p233-242.

Ngwenya, H.J and Hagmann, J. (2009). Facilitation for Change: Triggering emancipation and Innovation in rural communities in South Africa. In Scoones, I., Thompson, J and R. Chambers (eds): Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for agricultural research and development. Practical Action Publishing. p.220-237. United Kingdom.

Ngwenya H.J. Hagmann and J., Ramaru (2008) “Going to scale with facilitation for change: developing competence to facilitate community emancipation and innovation in South Africa”, in Sanginga P., A. Waters-Bayer, S. Kaaria, J. Njuki and C Wettasinha (eds.) Innovation Africa: enriching farmers’ livelihood, Earthscan Publications Limited, London, UK: p340-357.

Published articles

Ngwenya, H. and M.O. Akeredolu (2017). Rural Advisory Services Curriculum Development. Note 28. GFRAS Global Good Practice Notes for Extension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lausanne, Switzerland.
http://www.g-fras.org/en/good-practice-notes/28-ras-curriculum-development.html

Terblanche, S. and H. Ngwenya (2017). Professionalisation of Rural Advisory Services. Note 27. GFRAS Global Good Practice Notes for Extension and Advisory Services. GFRAS: Lausanne, Switzerland
http://www.g-fras.org/en/good-practice-notes/27-professionalisation.html

Presentation at Conferences and seminars 

Ngwenya H (2019) PERFECT Opportunities for REALsearch in AgriCOOLture (2019),: The 14th  IUPAC International Congress of Crop Protection Chemistry, 19 – 24 May, Ghent University, Belgium

Ngwenya H.J (2018) Mastering the art of communication amidst complexities: Towards achieving sustainable development. Presented at the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Conference, 20-24  June, Oregon, USA

Ngwenya HJ (2018) Before transfer; Manage Knowledge: Equipping Extensionist Towards Sustainable Development in the 21^stCentury. Presented at the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Waterberg District Extension and Advisory Services Conference, 08-09 November.

Ngwenya H.J (2018) Taking advantage of the use of  ICTs to deliver effective and efficient Extension and Advisory Services. Presented at the Mpumalanga Provincial Annual Extension Summit, South Africa. 2018, 25 – 26, July Mpumalanga, South Africa:

Ngwenya, H (2015) Building systemic capacity of smallholder farmers to improve soil quality: The facilitative role of agricultural extension and advisory services. Paper presented at the  International stewardship symposium, 14th July, 2015 Calgary, Canada. 

Ngwenya H.J (2014) Climate Smart Agriculture Enabling Environment: A comparative study of Policies and practices in 15 countries in Africa. Presented at the Global Consultative meeting for the Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture. 2014, 18 – 20 June, Hanoi, Vietnam:

Ngwenya, H and Hagmann, J (2009) Managing social exclusion in Community Development: Strengthening local organization capacity through ‘facilitation for Change’ in South Africa. Paper presented at the Conference of the International Human Dimensions Programme(IHDP)-Open meeting 7 in Bonn, Germany; April 26-30th 2009.

She is part of the coordinating team for the Agriculture Human Capital Investment study for the Food and Agriculture (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); 2020.

Conducted Coping Studies on Agricultural Technical, Vocational Education and Training ATVET (Zambia and Botswana). To determine the status in terms of Policies and Program and opportunities. This was part of IFPRI analytical Support for Guiding National Agricultural Investment Plans Appraisal and Design (2019). Commission by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Conducted Regional Capacity Assessment studies to assess the readiness of 3 regional networks (Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America &the Caribbean) to support countries to deliver on the Private Public Partnerships on Agricultural extension initiatives (2019). Commissioned by GFRAS

Scoping study on the state of Agricultural extension, ICTs and Knowledge Management solutions to Climate Resilient Solutions in Southern Africa (in 7 countries i.e. Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia,South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe): Commissioned Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Agricultural Modelling Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) (2015/2017): My role: Stakeholder engagement and communicating science ICRISAT Research Project.

Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services and professionalisation 

Systems thinking and systemic change

Organisational Development, Leadership, Systems governance and change management 

Capacity development, skills planning and skills audit in the 21^st century 

Agricultural Policy and Policy advocacy 

Agri-Food System and Nutrition Security

Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact assessment

Agricultural value chains, Cooperative Governance and Agripreneurship 

Gender Mainstreaming and Youth 

Sustainable Agriculture and Extension: Master level (SAEX7906)

Extension for Sustainability: Advance Diploma level (SAEX 5806)