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14 December 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Ofhani Mavhungu was recently awarded the Professor Rob Gous Scholarship by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) of South Africa.

From a very early age, Ofhani Mavhungu knew he wanted to be involved in agriculture one day. Fast forward a few decades and you find Ofhani enrolled for the MScAgric Animal Science degree at the University of the Free State (UFS).

As a goal-orientated person who is open to new ventures, he reckons this degree will broaden his knowledge and understanding of the industry. “I believe Animal Science is an interdisciplinary field of study that enables students like me to pursue various career opportunities, ranging from primary animal production to secondary product processing, retail, and quality assurance. This motivates me to be part of the team that will ensure food security for the future generation,” says Ofhani.

Opening doors to a career in Animal Science

The Professor Rob Gous Scholarship for 2020/2021 that was jointly awarded to him and Victor Makofane of the University of Limpopo by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) of South Africa, is for Ofhani a step closer to realising his dreams. 

“Diligence and hard work have always been the driving force throughout my studies, and I am delighted that my hard work was rewarded. This award further reflects on the Department of Animal Science’s dedication and commitment to build and mentor strong candidates who are recognised by the industry,” he says.

With increasing animal feed costs, the search for more cost-effective feed utilisation techniques – without compromising the nutritive value or feed quality – becomes critically important for intensive broiler producers. 

Ofhani’s study, which aims to evaluate the effect of increasing levels of a nutritional fat emulsifier with a high HLB on the (i) diet digestibility and (ii) production performance of broilers, will provide some insight into the possible energy-saving effect of dietary emulsifiers with a high HBL in broiler diets with moderate lipid inclusion levels. 

“A digestibility study will give more information on the emulsifier effect at metabolic level, and a production study will provide information on growth characteristics and carcass composition.”

An opportunity to compete with other candidates in the industry

“Few studies have been conducted on lipid emulsifiers under South African conditions, which necessitates the need for further research in this field,” he says. 

Ofhani, whose motto in life is to stay humble and accept positive criticism – as it is meant to enlighten you – wants to pursue a career in the animal feed industry. “My qualification will give me an opportunity to compete with other candidates of our generation in the industry, as well as on a research/academic level. By completing my MScAgric, I will broaden my own skill set so that I can continue with industry-related research in the future and provide mentorship to prospective animal scientists,” he adds. 

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Putting our new Face of Facebook on the spot
2014-05-28

 

What do you study and which year are you?
I am a second-year Governance and Political Transformation student.

Why did you enter the Face of Facebook competition?
I met Victor (our previous winner) for the first time last year and he told me I should do it – it would suit me. I am also interested in the media and I serve on Callie Hendricks’ (SRC Media and Marketing) executive committee as well.

Tell us a bit about your vision as our new Face of Facebook?
I actually want to be more interactive with students. I feel like it’s going to be a place of giving to people. I want to use this platform for community service too. I also want to learn more about media. I see myself going into the media world more in the future.

On that note, what are your goals and dreams for the future?
In my honours year I will like to specialise in international relations. Then I can become a delegate who interacts with people from all around the world. That should be able to launch me in a career working with media. I also want to initiate projects that develop women in leadership.

You received 941 votes and 241 shares. What is your message to your fans?
I want to thank them all. The fact that they believed in me and liked my video means a lot to me. I appreciate the support very, very much.

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