PostDoctoral Research Fellow in Agricultural Economics & Value Chain Analysis at North West University

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.

Minimum requirements

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 driver’s 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 DEADLINE:

20 February 2026