Prof Leila Goedhals-Gerber is a supply chain specialist with focus areas including cold chain logistics, sustainable logistics, driver behaviour and issues relevant to the maritime industry. She obtained her PhD from Stellenbosch University based on research that developed a model that can determine the efficiency of the individual links or nodes in a supply chain as well as determine the efficiency of the entire supply chain. The model also identifies the bottlenecks in a supply chain and therefore makes it easier to determine the steps needed to improve the levels of efficiency in the supply chain under investigation.
Leila is the academic coordinator of the focal area in Logistics and Supply Chain Systems. She is rated as an established researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and has been involved in research projects in the South African fruit industry, the port sector, assessing driver behaviour in the South African road freight industry as well as projects that investigat
Vanya is a Human Capital and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). With over 20 years of working experience across the financial, manufacturing, logistics, and retail sectors, Vanya has acquired in-depth knowledge and skills in problem solving, analytical reasoning, conceptual thinking, project management, collaboration, leadership, and negotiating.
Committed to driving both excellence and service delivery, she strives to deliver outcomes that exceed expectations and thrives in environments where there’s a need to optimise people, processes and systems in order to achieve high levels of organisational effectiveness.
Vanya has a keen love for continuous learning and is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) and holds qualifications in Project Management (USB), Business Management (PGDip), Human Resource Management (BTech), and Industrial Psychology (Mcom).
Anneke is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Logistics, with years of experience in rail management, rail market and market opportunity research in South Africa and other African countries. As a researcher, she has been involved in work for Transtrade (a subsidiary of Transnet), freight flow modelling in South Africa and similar projects in Zambia and Botswana. In addition to consulting for various companies, Anneke’s work as lecturer is focused on supply chain strategy, change management and transformation and logistics customer service interface – specifically macrologistics change management and policy implementation.
Mandla Gwetu has an extensive career in tertiary education which spans multiple institutions, where he has gained experience in curriculum development, community engagement, scientific research and academic leadership. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is an alumni of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum and the USB-ED Senior Management Development Program. His areas of expertise include both theoretical and application aspects of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Vision. He is actively seeking for self funded PhD candidates and research collaborations in Computational Data Science.
Mandla Gwetu is currently involved in the delivery of Data Science, Data Engineering and Data Analytics modules in the Faculty of Engineering. Visual Paradigm software is used as a design tool in the Data Engineering module.
As an academic partner of Visual Paradigm, Visual Paradigm is providing Stellenbosch University with their online UML software, and database design software for educational use.
Mr Ben Human
A chemical engineer by training and a logistics executive by trade, Ben Human brings over 25 years of global experience to his role as a lecturer at Stellenbosch University. His career is highlighted by a 12-year tenure leading Sasol’s corporate marine logistics strategic sourcing, where he managed procurement for an annual spend exceeding R3bn for exports to 250 global destinations.
Specializing in long-term, win-win supplier relationships, he has deep expertise across liquid bulk, dry bulk, and container shipping modes. Since 2021, he has transitioned into academia and consulting, lecturing in Strategic Sourcing, Transportation & Logistics, and Advanced Supply Chain Management. He combines a rigorous analytical mindset with extensive industry experience to bridge the gap between technical theory and global logistical execution.
Dr Mia Mangaroo-Pillay
miamangaroopillay@sun.ac.za
I’m a Senior Lecturer in Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University, where I spend my days convincing students (and occasionally myself) that well-designed systems really can solve most of the world’s problems—provided we also talk to the people using them. My work lives at the intersection of Operations Management, Operational Excellence, Human Factors Engineering, and Lean philosophy, with a proudly South African twist. I’m especially interested in how cultural values like Ubuntu can reframe our understanding of efficiency—not just faster processes, but more meaningful and inclusive ones. My research explores how global methodologies like Lean can be adapted through indigenous knowledge systems (hello, Digital Ubuntu) to build engineering practices that are culturally grounded and socially responsible. When I’m not exploring these intersections, I have the privilege of supervising brilliant postgraduate students who challenge me with fresh ideas, bold questions, and the occasional existential crisis over research methodology. I value clear communication, strong ethics, and the belief that every experience brings new knowledge—even the uncomfortable ones. I thrive in interdisciplinary spaces, where people meet process, and where innovation isn’t just a buzzword, but something that actually works (most of the time). And yes—I’m here to put the Mia in academia.
Mr Meelan Roopa
meelanroopa@sun.ac.za
Meelan Roopa is a lecturer at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Industrial Engineering, where he bridges the gap between Industrial Engineering and environmental sustainability. His expertise lies in developing sustainable, competitive and integrative artefacts tailored for developing countries.
Meelan employs a myriad of techniques from the fields of Biomimicry (nature-based solutions), Systems thinking, Gamification, Business Engineering, Enterprise Design, Innovation, Feasibility assessments, Circular Economy, Transdisciplinary research, and Simulation modelling. Much of the work has been conducted in the automotive, agricultural, marine, consulting, finance, robotics, bakery, dairy, manufacturing and 3PL sectors.
At the undergraduate level, Meelan lectures on Enterprise Design to final-year students, fostering the next generation of business leaders. He also presents an introductory Industrial Engineering course to first-year students. As a dedicated mentor, he currently supervises over 15 postgraduate students, focusing on innovating and redefining the status quo.”
Dr Michelle Smit
Dr Michelle Smit is a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University. She holds a BEng in Industrial Engineering and a PhD in Engineering Management from Stellenbosch University.
Her research focuses on innovation and technology management, with a specific interest in how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to design and optimise customer journeys, support product development, and enhance customer retention. Her work sits at the intersection of engineering management, data-driven decision-making, and human-centred design. She is particularly interested in how organisations translate innovation into sustained value by aligning product and service development with evolving customer needs.
She is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision, supporting industry-relevant research in AI, innovation, and digital transformation.
