Historical SASTA Field Day: Kearsney Manor and Glendale Valley If history is your thing, the SASTA field day held on 13 October would have been right up your alley. SASTA members enjoyed a morning of memories, as we visited Kearsney Manor, Sir Liege Hulett’s family home and the original abode of Kearsney College from…
DetailsWebinar: Electric Trucks At a SASTA Webinar attended by 45 delegates on 6 October 2026, Professor Lesedi Masisi of the University of Witwatersrand provided a background to electric vehicles. He explained how the control systems convert chemical potential energy into mechanical energy when propulsion is required, and the reverse scenario when regenerative braking is used…
DetailsVisit to Lakeside Engineering On 23 June 2026, a small delegation of SASTA members visited Lakeside Engineering in Westmead, Durban, where they were hosted by Jhaques Thyssen from the External Sales division. Lakeside was founded in 1983 and is a regular exhibitor at SASTA Congress trade exhibitions. They manufacture, supply and repair a wide…
DetailsSASTA Webinar A SASTA webinar was held on 26 March 2026. The webinar featured two presentations from the agricultural section of SASTA Congress 2025. Both papers were winners of the Kynoch Award, based on content of the papers, as well as the quality of the presentations at the Congress. Characterising Climate Change SASRI’s Cropping Systems…
DetailsVisit to Ilembe Foundry SASTA members were treated to an insightful visit to Ilembe Foundry in March. By our own admission, many of us were unsure what to expect, and we were thoroughly fascinated by the processes we observed. For those unable to attend, a foundry is a factory where metal is melted and poured…
DetailsCooling Farm and Fountainhill Estate, KZN Midlands SASTA members were treated to insights into two fascinating operations in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands on 25 February 2026. Kiwis and avocados were on the menu for the day, and both farms kept our members spellbound as we learned about some of the intricacies of producing these crops. We…
DetailsUCL Avocado Packaging Plant In August 2025, SASTA members visited Union Co-Op Limited (UCL)’s advanced Avocado Packaging Plant. The tour offered valuable insight into the company’s highly efficient and sustainable operations. Led by Clinton Vermeulen, General Manager: Operations (Manufacturing), members explored the facility’s innovative processes and technology. The avocado packhouse is a recent addition to…
DetailsSASRI Celebrates a Century of Impact! The South African Sugar Research Institute (SASRI) marked a major milestone — 100 years of groundbreaking research and innovation — with a prestigious centenary celebration at Mount Edgecombe on Tuesday, 15 July. Held under the theme “A Century of Achievement, a Future of Possibilities,” the event reflected on SASRI’s basis of…
DetailsSustainability in action at… Donovale Farming Company The recent SASTA Field Day in the Midlands showcased the impressive sustainability journey of Donovale Farming Company. Attendees had the opportunity to meet owners Chris and Ant Edmonds, with Ant presenting the farm’s innovative and ecoconscious approach to agriculture. Spanning 985 hectares in KwaZulu-Natal, Donovale grows sugarcane, navel…
DetailsBell Equipment, Richards Bay If big machines and a home-grown success story are your thing, you’d have been sorry to miss the SASTA field visit to Bell Equipment, in Richards Bay, on 19 May 2025. SASTA visitors were greeted with tea and coffee, and an introduction to the Bell story by employees Emile van Wyk…
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