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22 August 2022 | Story Samkelo Fetile | Photo Supplied
Tebogo Motsamai
Tebogo Motsamai was named head coach after Godfrey Tenoff took up a new post at the University of the Free State (UFS). Motsamai's first season as head coach ended in defeat against the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the final.
With a finalist finish in last season’s Varsity Football, the Kovsie men's soccer team is hoping for another successful season. Kovsies seek to continue its surge under Tebogo Motsamai with the addition of several key young players.
Head coach Motsamai was appointed when the former head coach, Godfrey Tenoff, accepted a new position at the University of the Free State (UFS). Motsamai lost in the final of his first season as head coach to the University of Johannesburg (UJ). As a former player and assistant coach, he is familiar with the team. Despite his first year as head coach, his most significant accomplishment at Kovsies is finishing in the top four and reaching the final of the Varsity Football competition. 

“I will continue to lean on these youngsters, as I want to keep the foundation the same as last year and build on it, bringing some new ideas and different mentalities to emphasise to the team,” Motsamai said.  He believes in openness to ideas from players. “I want players to be comfortable talking about how they feel, opinions on strategy, and things like that,” he further explained.

The 2021 Varsity Football season brought some memorable moments for coach Motsamai, and he believes it was all through the hard graft of the players and the technical team. “I want to mention that since inception, my work has been made easy by Ntele Mashiloane (MJ) – physiotherapist, and Yanelisa Nyalambisa – physical trainer, who work well with the boys. Their hard work, determination, and work ethic are out of this world,” Motsamai said.

He praises his players and believes they have what it takes to progress in the current Varsity Football tournament. “I can’t guarantee a certain number of wins, losses, or draws, but I feel like if we stick to the implemented philosophy, which is being disciplined, being prepared, and being relentless in what you want to do, they can take that with them not only on the playing field, but in life as well,” Motsamai said.

He is one of the coaches to watch in this year’s ongoing tournament as the team approaches the final games of the group stage. Even though the pressure to perform is mounting on each player, he is confident that they will get through to the knockout stages.

After five games, the UFS Kovsies are currently first place on the log standings with ten points. 

News Archive

Centre to enhance excellence in agriculture
2008-05-09

 

At the launch of the Centre for Excellence were, from the left, front: Ms Lesego Sejosengoe, Manager: Indigenous Food, Mangaung-University Community Partnership Project (MUCPP), Ms Kefuoe Mohapeloa, Deputy Director: national Department of Agriculture; back: Mr Garfield Whitebooi, Assistant Director: national Department of Agriculture, Dr Wimpie Nell, Director: Centre for Agricultural Management at the UFS, and Mr Petso Mokhatla, from the Centre for Agricultural Management and co-ordinator of the Excellence Model.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

UFS centre to enhance excellence in agriculture

The national Department of Agriculture (DoA) appointed the Centre for Agricultural Management within the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS) as the centre of excellence to roll out the excellence model for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME’s) for farmers in the Free State.

The centre was launched this week on the university’s Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The excellence model, which is used worldwide, was adapted by the Department of Trade and Industry as an SMME Excellence Model. The DoA then adapted it for agricultural purposes.

“The excellence model aims to assist farmers in identifying gaps in business skills. These gaps will be addressed by means of short courses. It will help to close the gap between the 1st and 4th economy,” said Dr Wimpie Nell, Director of the Centre for Agricultural Management at the UFS.

The UFS – as co-ordinator of the SMME Excellence Model – the DoA, the private sector, municipalities, small enterprise development agencies, and non-governmental organisations will be working together to enhance excellence in agricultural businesses in the Free State.

The benefit of the model is that it changes the mindset of emerging farmers to see agriculture as a business and not as a way of living. Dr Nell said: “We also want to create a culture of competitiveness and sustainability amongst emerging farmers.”

“The Free State is the second province where the model has been implemented. Another four provinces will follow later this year. Altogether 23 officers from the DoA, NGO’s and private sector have already been trained as facilitators by the Centre of Excellence at the UFS,” said Dr Nell.

The facilitator training takes place during four contact sessions, which includes farm visits where facilitators get the opportunity to practically apply what they have learnt. On completion of the training facilitators use the excellence model to evaluate farming businesses and identify which skills (such as financial skills, entrepreneurship, etc.) the farmers need.

The co-ordinator from the Centre of Excellence, Mr Petso Mokhatla, will monitor the facilitators by visiting these farmers to establish the effectiveness of the implementation of the model. Facilitators must also report back to the centre on the progress of the farmers. This is an ongoing process where evaluation will be followed up by training and re-evaluation to ensure that successful establishment of emerging farmers has been achieved.

According to Ms Kefuoe Mohapeloa, Deputy Director from the national Department of Agriculture, one of the aims of government is to redistribute five million hectare of land (480 settled people per month) to previously disadvantaged individuals before 2010. The department also wants to increase black entrepreneurship in rural areas by 10% this year, increase food security by utilising scarce resources by 10%, and increase exports by black farmers by 10%.

“To fulfill these objectives it is very important for emerging farmers to get equipped with the necessary business skills. The UFS was a suitable candidate for this partnership because of its presence in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA). With the Jobs for Growth programme, ASGISA is an important extension to the Centre of Excellence and plays a major role in the implementation of the model to improve value-chain management,” said Ms Mohapeloa.

Twenty facilitators will receive training in June and another 20 in October this year. “The more facilitators we can train, the more farmers will benefit from the model,” said Dr Nell.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
8 May 2008

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