PostDoctoral Research Fellow in Agricultural Economics & Value Chain Analysis
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Job Location:
Potchefstroom - South Africa
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
18 hours ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Introduction
Duties & Responsibilities
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW
Agricultural Economics & Value Chain Analysis
Kgodiso Project North-West Province
We invite applications for a full-time Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Agricultural Economics as part of the Kgodiso Project: an integrated research-driven partnership for agricultural transformation in the North-West Province led by North-West University (NWU) in partnership with the Kgodiso Development Fund of PepsiCo.
This position will lead the economic value-chain and market integration components of a multidisciplinary research programme focused on dry beans and groundnuts within semi-commercial farming systems.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
- Leading the agricultural economics and value-chain research components of the Kgodiso Project in the North-West Province.
- Lead value-chain and market analyses for selected high-value rotational crops (e.g. dry beans groundnuts) including production economics logistics processing and offtake opportunities.
- Supporting the provincial baseline assessment including farmer capacity surveys and economic diagnostics.
- Contributing to the design of sustainable business and cooperative models to enhance market access for emerging commercial farmers.
- Integrating economic findings with agronomic and digital agriculture outputs to inform best practice guides and farmer decision-support tools.
- Assisting with the supervision and mentoring of two MSc students in agricultural economics.
- Contributing to scientific publications policy-relevant outputs project reporting and stakeholder engagement activities.
Desired Experience & Qualification
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
- A PhD (awarded within the past five years) in Agricultural Economics Economics Agribusiness or a closely related discipline.
- A track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications.
- Demonstrated research experience in agricultural production economics value-chain analysis or market studies.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills including experience with farm-level data surveys and economic modelling.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- A valid drivers licence and willingness to travel for fieldwork.
Desirable attributes:
- Experience working with emerging or small-to-medium commercial farmers.
- Familiarity with climate-smart agriculture regenerative systems or sustainability assessment.
- Experience translating research into policy-relevant or practitioner-focused outputs.
FELLOWSHIP DETAILS:
- Type: Full-time Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF)
- Funding: R350 000 per year (tax-free) in line with the NWU Post-Doctoral Programme
- Duration: 3 years subject to an annual performance review
- Commencement: 1 April 2026
- Location: Potchefstroom North-West Province
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Interested applicants should submit the following documents:
- Full CV (including publication list)
- Copy of ID or Passport
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
20 February 2026
APPOINTMENT DATE:
1 April 2026
APPLICATIONS & ENQUIRIES:
For further inquiries and submission of applications please contact:
Dr Ernst Idsardi
Email:
Subject line: Post-Doc Application Kgodiso Project
Key Skills
- Virology
- Bioinformatics
- Genetics
- R
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Research Experience
- Spectroscopy
- Cell Culture
- Molecular Biology
- Microscopy
- Research Laboratory Experience
