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Breaking barriers: Zané Dippenaar becomes UFS’s youngest Business Management PhD graduate

11 April 2025 | Story Onthatile Tikoe | Photo Onthatile Tikoe

Zane Dippenaar — Dr Zané Dippenaar (30) is the youngest PhD graduate in this year’s Business Management class from the University of the Free State.

Zané Dippenaar, a 30-year-old marketing and project manager at a Cape Town-based solar energy company, is the youngest person in this year’s graduating class to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Management degree from the University of the Free State this year.

But despite this achievement, the newly minted Dr Dippenaar says she would not have predicted she would study her way to PhD level.

“I wasn’t particularly academically driven before tertiary education, but I knew from early on that I wanted to either become a teacher or pursue something in the world of business,” she says. Her natural ability and her family’s encouragement led her to explore entrepreneurship and marketing, which she soon developed a passion for.

Overcoming challenges and finding support

Dr Dippenaar’s academic journey was marked by significant challenges, including balancing work and study commitments. However, she credits her supervisors and family for helping her stay motivated.

Her dissertation, titled ‘Advertising and Brand Loyalty in the South African Solar Industry’, showcases her expertise in marketing and branding.

“There were moments filled with doubt, setbacks, and exhaustion, but I was fortunate to have a strong support system who continuously encouraged me and reminded me of what I was working towards,” she says.

Achieving a personal milestone

Dr Dippenaar’s PhD achievement is not only an academic milestone but also a personal triumph. She had set a goal of completing her PhD before turning 30 and achieved it just weeks before her birthday. “That was a personal milestone I had set for myself, and achieving it was incredibly fulfilling,” she says.

She plans to apply the knowledge she gained in the industry and potentially return to academia. She advises younger students to trust their instincts and start their academic journey without waiting for perfection.

“Don’t wait until you’re ‘ready’ – you never will be. Just start. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, ask for help when you need it, and take it one chapter at a time,” she advises.

A role model for others

Dr Dippenaar hopes to inspire others, particularly young women, by showing that success in academia doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all formula. “I hope my story demonstrates that with the right support, determination, and a willingness to carve your own path, anything is possible.”

The University of the Free State is proud to have played a role in Dippenaar’s academic journey, fostering her growth and expertise in business management. Her achievement is a testament to the institution’s commitment to academic excellence and innovation.

News Archive

UFS first to mechanise agricultural technique

2006-05-09

Small farmers from Thaba `Nchu were the biggest group attending the farmers day at the UFS Paradys experimental farm. From the left are Mr David Motlhale (a small farmer from Thaba 'Nchu), Prof Leon van Rensburg (lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader), Mr Nhlonipho Nhlabatsi (Agricultural Research Council, Glen), Ms Meisie Mthethwa (small farmer from Bloemspruit). In front is Mr Patrick Molatodi (chairperson of the Tswelopele Small Farmer Association).

Some of the participants of the farmers day at the UFS Paradys experimental farm were from the left Prof Leon van Rensburg (lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader, Mr Patrick Molatodi (chairperson of the Tswelopele Small Farmers Association) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences).

UFS first tertiary institution in world to mechanise agricultural technique
The University of the Free State (UFS) is the first tertiary institution in the world to mechanise the in-field rain water harvesting technique on a commercial scale.

The technique was recently demonstrated to about 100 small farmers at the UFS Paradys experimental farm outside Bloemfontein.

“With this technique rain water is channeled to the plant and in this way food security is increased. The advantage of the technique for commercial farmers lies in the reduced cultivation of land. Small farmers will benefit from this because they can now move out into the fields and away from farming in their back yards,” says Prof Leon van Rensburg, lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader.

Rain water harvesting is an antique concept that was used by communities before the birth of Christ. In South Africa the technique is mainly used in the plots of small farmers where they make surface structures by hand.

"The technique is also used for the first time by the UFS on commercial scale by means of the cultivation of a summer crop on 100 ha at the Paradys experimental farm,” says Prof Leon van Rensburg,

Of the farmers who attended the farmers day most represented about 42 rural communities in the vicinity of Thaba ‘Nchu. A group of seven from KwaZulu-Natal also attended the proceedings. These small farmers can for example apply this technique successfully on the 250-300 ha communal land that is available in the Thaba ‘Nchu area.

The project is funded by the UFS and the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the farmers’ day was funded by the Water Research Commission.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
9 May 2006

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