Dr Ziyanda Majokweni – Qwalela has been appointed a Ministerial Trustee and Chairperson of the Meat Industry Trust (MIT).

Dr Ziyanda Majokweni-Qwalela holds a degree in Veterinary Science and completed a Management Advancement Programme through the University of Witwatersrand (Wits)

She has over 20 years’ experience in the Animal Health sector, 10 years of which she spent in senior management in both government and the private sector.

Dr Majokweni – Qwalela worked in diverse environments, equipping her with a wealth of experience in research, pharmaceutical industry as well as in the management and support of farmer associations – working for an agency of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA).

In her previous roles, she was a member of the board in the animal health and research sectors and Chairperson of the National Animal Health Forum – a liaison forum, best described as a public private partnership between veterinarians, animal production groups and government. The forum focused on animal disease control and other related food safety and security matters.

She began her career as a State Veterinarian and Clinician in a mixed veterinary practice. She also worked in the pharmaceutical industry in various risk management as well as farmer support roles.

Furthermore, Dr Majokweni – Qwalela worked for the Agricultural Research Council of South Africa at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute as a Researcher and Laboratory Manager for the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) programme as well the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) as a Group Quality Assurance Manager.

She later joined SAPA in January 2017 from the South African Weather Service where she was a General Manager for Corporate Affairs – a role wherein she was responsible for stakeholder relations management, total quality management, legal and regulatory affairs as well as strategy development and management among others.

She is currently working for Gauteng Provincial Government where she is responsible for Veterinary Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Laboratory Services.

Dr Majokweni – Qwalela remains passionate about sustainable systems development and creating an enabling environment for all South Africans to participate meaningfully in the country’s economy.