Academic staff
Prof Gunnar Sigge, Departmental Chair
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Name | Prof Gunnar Sigge |
Email address
| gos@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | +27 (0)21 808 3578 |
Office
| 1007 |
Undergraduate Modules | Introduction to Food Science (FS144) Commercial Food Processing & Preservation (FS214) Commercial Food Processing & Preservation (FS244) |
Research Profile: | Gunnar Sigge has more than 20 years of experience in academia. He is currently Associate-Professor and Head of the Department of Food Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa – a position he has held since 2009. His research interests include food processing, food processing wastewater treatment, sustainable water-use in the food industry, food safety of irrigated fresh produce, and novel disinfection systems for food and irrigation water. |
ORCID ID link: | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9791-0518 |
Scopus Author | https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=6602407326 |
Prof Pieter Gouws
Room 1021, Tel +27 (0)21 808 2609
pgouws@sun.ac.za
Undergraduate Modules
Food Science 144, 333, 478
Prof Marena Manley

Name
| Prof Marena Manley |
Email address | mman@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | +27 (0)21 808 3511 |
Office
| 1008 |
Undergraduate Modules | Cereal Science (FS344) Food Packaging (FS414) |
Research Profile: | Marena Manley joined the Department of Food Science in 1997 and currently holds the position of Full Professor. Her research focuses on the application of near-infrared spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging, primarily in the analysis of grains. More recently, her work has expanded to cover a diverse range of food-related topics, including honey adulteration, sourdough maintenance, chocolate refining and tempering, and the characterisation of gummy candy. She employs advanced multivariate data analysis techniques, with a particular emphasis on exploratory ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis, to interpret the effects of controlled experimental factors on spectral data within full-factorial experimental designs. |
ORCID ID link: | https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0001-7581-7208 |
Scopus Author | https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7004706134# |
Dr Stefan Hayward

Name | Dr. Stefan Hayward |
Email address | stefanh@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | +27 (0)21 808 3578 |
Office no: | 2031 |
Undergraduate Modules | Introduction to Food Science (FS144) Food Science 353 – Food and beverage Biochemistry |
Research Profile: | Stefan Hayward holds a PhD in Biochemistry and has more than 10 years experience in the food- and related industries. He is a lecturer in the Department of Food Science and his research interests include brewing and distilling as well as the development of novel analytical techniques for quality assurance. |
ORCID ID link: | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5401-684X |
Dr Debora van der Merwe

Room 1014, Tel +27(0)21 808 3654
jdvandermerwe@sun.ac.za
Undergraduate Modules
Food Science 144, 478
Dr Jeannine Marais

Name | Dr Jeannine Marais |
Email address | jeanninemarais@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | +27 (0)21 808 2939 |
Office no: | 3003 |
Undergraduate Modules | Nutrition for the Food Scientist (FS324) Sensory Analysis (FS354) Trial Design and Product Development (FS478) |
Research Profile: | Jeannine Marais is a Lecturer in the Department of Food Science at Stellenbosch University. She specialises in Sensory Science, focusing on the evaluation of agricultural food and beverage products such as fruits, nuts, and meat. Through interdisciplinary collaborations with academia and industry, her research applies standardised methodologies to assess physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and consumer perception. |
ORCID ID link: | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3293-9253 |
Scopus Author | https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55807367400 & https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=58980639100 |
Dr Diane Rip

Name
| Dr Diane Rip |
Email address | dirip@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | +27 (0)21 808 9739 |
Office
| 2017A |
Undergraduate Modules | Introduction to Food Science (144) Commercial Food Processing & Preservation (FS214) Quality management systems (FS333) |
Research Profile: | Dr. Rip holds a PhD in Biotechnology with a specialization in food microbiology. Her primary interests have always centered on food-borne pathogens and food safety. Her work at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and later at Stellenbosch University (since 2017) solidified her dedication to food safety, molecular biology, and One Health research. Her work investigates the prevalence of foodborne pathogens across various origins, analysing their antimicrobial resistance profiles, sanitizer tolerance, and virulence and resistance mechanisms. Utilizing advanced methodologies, including whole genome sequencing, her research group aims to enhance the understanding and control of these pathogens to improve food safety and public health outcomes.
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ORCID ID link: | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5022-8554
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Scopus Author | https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=37059649400
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Dr Paul Williams

Room 1006, Tel +27 (0)21 808 3155
pauljw@sun.ac.za
Undergraduate Modules
Food Science 488
Dr Oluwafemi Caleb
Title and name | Dr Oluwafemi J. Caleb |
Email address | caleboj@sun.ac.za |
Tel: | 021 808 9243 |
Office no: | A.I. Perold Building, 0013 |
Undergraduate Modules | Commercial Food Processing & Preservation (FS214) Commercial Food Processing & Preservation (FS244) |
Research Profile: | Dr Caleb has over 10 years of research and development experience in Postharvest Technology. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Food Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research team the AgriFood BioSystems and Technovation is based at the Africa Institute for Postharvest Technology. His research interests include application of non-thermal and emerging food processing technologies, novel activated water systems as alternative to chlorine-based phytosanitary wash, and the management of ethylene in agri-food value chain. Our team relies on an integrated Multiomics approach in addressing these research interest. |
ORCID ID link: | http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5036-0173 |
Web of Science | https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/D-9705-2012 |
Scopus Author | https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36945161400 |
Technical & support staff
Megan Arendse

8083578
mcarendse@sun.ac.za
Technical support for Food Science 333, 344, 478
Student Wellness Champion
Biological waste management
Health & Safety officer
Petro Du Buisson

Room 3001, Tel +27 (0)21 808 3578
Technical support for Food Science 144, 214, 244, 454 & post graduate
students
Safety & security of the labs & building
Industry training
Zareenah Abader
Room 3001, Tel: +27 (0)21 808 3578
Technical support for Food Science 333, 478 & 488
Lab manager for the Undergrad lab
Manager of the Chemistry store
Biological & Chemical waste removal
LinkedIn page
Anchen Lombard

Room 1017, Tel: +27 (0)21 808 3579
aelomb@sun.ac.za
Lab manager for the New Product development lab
Research funds
Newsletters & social media
Marketing committee AgriSciences
Eben Bro
oks

Tel: +27 (0)21 808 3578
mob@sun.ac.za
Technical assistant
Natashia Achilles

Tel: +27 (0)21 808 3578
nachilles@sun.ac.za
Technical assistant