Nico van Aardt: Consultant (left)
Nico van Aardt manages SAPPO’s Monyetla Enterprise Development Fund. He has been involved in development finance for more than 16 years, gaining experience about various industries, especially forestry, manufacturing and agriculture. He is a chartered accountant and he has the following degrees: BComm (Hons) Accounting (University of Pretoria – 1990), Masters in Business Leadership (University of South Africa – 2000) and MPhill Development Finance (University of Stellenbosch – 2016).
He is regarded as a skilled deal maker and is proficient in performing due diligence investigations, financial modeling, discounted cash flow valuations and structuring investment proposals. He is also able to identify the key success factors and risks for new and/or expanding businesses. As director and/or member of the investment committee of various investee companies/funds Nico is able to participate at board level in the managing of investee companies.
He completed a MPhill Development Finance degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 2016. The topic of his research assignment was the commercialisation of small scale farmers. The study focused on the key success factors required for the successful integration of emerging farmers into the formal agricultural sector.
Dr Cilliers Louw: Consultant
Dr Cilliers Louw is SAPPO’s veterinary liaison officer for the Western Cape. He will in future also assist with business intelligence data capturing and national risk and health monitoring for the export market and the trade on SAPPO’s behalf. He lives in Durbanville and is the son of the late Cilliers Louw, who served the pork industry for 34 years. Louw senior was a member of SAPPO’s Board and he was chairman of Western Cape Pork producers for many years.
Dr Louw grew up on Keibees Piggery, a 1 270 sow unit in the Western Cape. He graduated as a veterinarian from Onderstepoort in 2005 and gained practical knowledge in many countries such as Australia, Spain, France, Wales, England and America.
He returned to South Africa in 2010 and started Farmlands Herd Health Practice in 2012, specialising in feedlot and pig health. He is married to Zirkea and has a four year old daughter, Milea.
He says his goals are to give farmers cost effective veterinary service and to be a good husband and father. Hobbies include running, quality family time, spending time at the beach and travelling.
“My goal for SAPPO is to help the organisation develop a strong brand name and to open up more export markets for local pig farmers. To do this we need better communication between farmers, both small and commercial, and between SAPPO, DAFF and the OIE,” he says. Like his father, Dr Louw believes in the thorough training of all pig producers, small or big. He will continue this legacy, Dr Louw says.
The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
