PROFILE OF TSHEPISO A. SEDUMEDI Pr. Sci. Nat.
Tshepiso Arnold Sedumedi was born and raised in Taung. He attended secondary schooling at P.H. Moeketsi Agricultural High School in Taung where he completed his matric.
He then furthered his studies at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal for a degree in Agricultural Production (major Animal Science) from 1996 - 2000. While at the University he received a prestigious award of the Abe Bailey Student-exchange Scholarship (1999) and travelled to the United Kingdom(UK) for two months to learn about their culture and was placed at a family dairy project (Goodenough trust in England) and further interacted with University of Oxford and Cambridge students as an exchange student.
He then worked in private farms from 2001 until 2006 where he advised farmers in extensive beef farming, 120-sow piggery with contract supply and the Taung irrigation scheme for fodder banking for their crop-livestock system. A published paper in 2000 on the “Classification of low resource livestock producers in the North West Province”. This paper was inspired by the way farmers view and use their animal wealth as a form of status and using as a business.
In 2006 he was then employed permanently by the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and land Reform. He further developed himself in his field of work by pursuing a Master’s degree in animal reproduction where he was then recognised as a registered scientist with the council. The South African Council of Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) and his registration 400363/11.
He is a spermatologist (scientist working with animal semen and indefinite storage and very good in practical laboratory work). He is fairly competent in creating and conducting experiments, process and analyse results and data and communicating results to the scientific community via published papers. He has collaborative nature with academia to apply the results of research and develop new techniques. He carries out field work to inform research, teach and demonstrate to teachers, students (in academia) and supervise members of his team.
He is a passionate, inspirational and dedicated scientist who at all times improve the daily lives of small farmers to be promoted towards commercial farming by embracing new technologies (bio-technologies). The new technology of using semen from superior bulls that small farmers cannot afford to improve their breeds.
With the advent of climate change his passion is to ensure that agricultural productivity is maintained or improved during the periods of extreme heat and cold cycles. He is dealing with animals that can withstand parasitism (internal and external parasites) and are prolific enough to even produce under trying conditions. He is part of a team that has identified a new landrace breed called Tankwa goats.
He is an academic scholar and continuously pursuing more researches and advising the agricultural sector of future challenges and ways to mitigate them.
Publications that one worked on and also on supervisory functions:
Nsahlai, I.V & Sedumedi, A.T., 2000. Classification of low resource livestock producers in the North West Province. Issue 4, Vol 30. Pp107-108.
Sako, T. O’Neil, H.A., Sedumedi, T., Jonker, T. & Fair M.D., 2019. Preliminary results: Means of pH profile, dressing percentage and drip loss in meat of Tankwa goats. Paper delivered at the 51st South African Association for Animal Science (SASAS), Bloemfontein, South Africa 10-12 June 2019.
Student presently co-supervising their MSc studies:
The effect of plant and animal-derived dietary oils on milk production and growth performance in Dohne Merino sheep. A Central University of Technology student. 2020 – 2022.
Present research pursued:
Study 1 - Karakul and Carnarvon Research Stations: Performance, breed effects and adaptability to heat stress of the Dorper and Namaqua Afrikaner Sheep Breeds under the Arid Karoo areas of Northern Cape.
Study 2 - Carnarvon Research Station: Heat Stress has an effect on body growth and motility of feral Tankwa goats sperm cells.
Study 3 - Koopmansfontein Research Station: Effect of Heat Stress on the sperm quality of Bonsmara bulls and use in in vitro fertilization.