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Opus Cactus
Prof Maryna Boshoff from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, Lerato Mamabolo (UFS graduate, now employed at OPUS Cactus), and Sotirios Pilafidis, Head of Research and Development at OPUS Cactus, at the XI International Congress on Cacti as Food, Fodder and Other Uses, hosted by the FAO-ICARDA CactusNet in Tenerife, Canary Islands.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has formalised a collaboration with OPUS Cactus, a pioneering biotech company focused on sustainable cactus-based farming and biorefineries in semi-arid regions. This partnership builds on OPUS Cactus’ expansion at the historic Waterkloof Research Station near Bloemfontein and combines the UFS’ academic expertise with industry innovation to promote climate-smart agriculture and economic development.

OPUS Cactus, led by Joeri van den Bovenkamp-Hofman, CEO, and Sotirios Pilafidis, Head of Research and Development (R&D), specialises in transforming marginal, non-arable land into productive, resource-efficient ecosystems by cultivating the drought-tolerant Opuntia cactus. This versatile biomass supports renewable bioenergy, animal feed, food production, fermentation feedstock, and sustainable biomaterials, while contributing to carbon capture and climate mitigation efforts.

“Our mission is to unlock the full potential of Opuntia biomass for sustainable bioenergy, food, and biomaterials, advancing regenerative agriculture and climate action,” says Van den Bovenkamp-Hofman. OPUS Cactus operates dual hubs: its headquarters and R&D lab in Groningen, the Netherlands, and the flagship 1 000-hectare Waterkloof Research Centre in the Free State. The Waterkloof facility serves as a commercial farm, research platform, and demonstration site for regenerative farming techniques.

The UFS collaboration involves multiple departments, including Sustainable Food Systems and Development, Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, and Microbiology and Biochemistry. Profs Maryna Boshoff and Carlien Pohl-Albertyn, alongside Dr Gesine Coetzer, provide academic leadership in the partnership.

Prof Boshoff explains, “This industry-academia collaboration aims to develop innovative projects utilising cactus-based products. It builds on decades of cactus research at the UFS, enabling the translation of scientific knowledge into real-world impact through scale-up and commercialisation.”

 

Bridging academic research and commercial innovation to promote climate-smart agriculture

At the core of the partnership is the Waterkloof Research Centre, home to 42 spineless Burbank cactus pear cultivars. The facility acts as a ‘living laboratory’, integrating empirical research with commercial-scale farming. “Waterkloof now offers students and researchers access to operational infrastructure that cannot be replicated in conventional academic settings,” says Prof Boshoff.

Continuing projects at Waterkloof include biogas production through an anaerobic digester, regenerative agriculture practices such as cover cropping and reduced tillage, advanced plant biotechnology to breed superior cultivars, fermentation research for alternative proteins, and the development of novel fermented foods and sustainable biomaterials.

The collaboration also plays a critical role in conserving Opuntia genetic diversity and evaluating cultivars across South Africa’s varied agro-ecological zones. “Research done by UFS and ARC scientists on cultivar selection and cultivation is applied and scaled up through OPUS Cactus’ commercial operations,” Prof Boshoff adds.

This partnership provides valuable hands-on experience and career pathways for postgraduate students and young researchers. “We offer internships and employment opportunities, with several recent UFS graduates already joining our R&D team,” says Pilafidis. “We actively seek motivated graduates passionate about sustainable agriculture and bioengineering.”

By converting semi-arid landscapes into productive, carbon-sequestering ecosystems, the UFS-OPUS Cactus collaboration exemplifies how scientific innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental stewardship can drive climate resilience, food security, and sustainable economic growth.

“OPUS Cactus is a win for the environment, communities, and business alike,” concludes Van den Bovenkamp-Hofman.

News Archive

Shortage of quantity surveyors discussed at UFS
2006-03-24

During the recent visit of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) to the University of the Free State (UFS) were from the left Mr Egon Wortmann (Director: ASAQS), Prof Basie Verster (representative of the Free State on the ASAQS and head of the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the UFS), Mr  Greyling Venter (Chairperson:  Free State branch of the ASAQS), Prof DG Brümmer(Vice-President:  ASAQS) and Mr  Patrick Waterson (President:  ASAQS).
Photo supplied

 

Shortage of quantity surveyors discussed at UFS

 “The South African building industry is experiencing an unprecedented high level of economic growth and prosperity.  This is causing a definite shortage of registered quantity surveyors,” said Mr Egon Wortmann, Director of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors(ASAQS) during the association’s recent visit to the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the University of the Free State (UFS).

 “This shortage is especially noticeable in local and national governments where unqualified and inexperienced staff, consultants and/or facilitators are now appointed,” said Mr Wortmann. 

 In doing so, the authorities that have adopted this approach are according to Mr Wortmann actually acting illegally and are not in compliance with the legal and statutory requirements of South Africa.  “These unprofessional practices are unproductive, it leads to frustration and is strongly condemned by the ASAQS,” he said.

 “The service delivery of these unqualified and unregistered service providers is often sub standard and does not comply to the legal requirements of the profession.  It may also result in the tarnishing of the image and high professional standards set by the quantity surveying profession,” said Mr Wortmann.

 “Universities offering programmes in quantity-surveying and construction management are also negatively affected by the high levels of activity in the building environment.  Suitable lecturing staff are leaving the academic institutions as they are attracted to better opportunities being offered in the building industry. The ability of the tertiary institutions to attract young academics, to train them and to keep them in the longer term, is therefore almost impossible”, said Prof Basie Verster, head of the Department of Quantity Surveying and Construction Management at the UFS and representative of the Free State on the ASAQS.

 According to Prof Verster the UFS supplies more than its quota of qualified quantity surveyors to the South African building industry.  “Although more than 460 students are registered in construction related programmes at the UFS, we are as the ASAQS’s concerned about the shortage of students that can enter the construction industry.  In our case, we  are experiencing a shortage in black female students,” he said.

 “Of the 460 postgraduate students, 38% are black of which 20% are female students.  Graduates do also not necessarily stay in the country.  As the UFS’s programmes are accredited overseas, a lot of our students leave the country for working opportunities elsewhere,” said Prof Verster.

 Mr Patrick Waterson, President of the ASAQS, appealed to quantity surveyors to, when they are approached, consider academic careers or to make themselves available to lecture on a part time basis.  “I also appeal to quantity-surveying practices, construction companies and developers to consider taking part in training activities,” he said.

 The ASAQS has over the years developed a proud tradition within the quantity-surveying profession. Consequently membership of this organisation is a sought after goal for many members within the building environment. International agreements with various countries are also in place whereby it is mutually agreed that local as well as overseas qualifications are mutually acceptable on a reciprocal basis. 

 A more recent addition to the list of agreements is the reciprocity agreement entered into with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors which makes it possible for South African based quantity surveyors to practice in over 120 countries worldwide.

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

 

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