Adriaan de Lange has been appointed as Managing Director of Netafim South Africa, effective 24 November 2021. Adriaan takes over the reins from Etienne Erasmus as he enters retirement. Erasmus will stay on until the end of February 2022 to support a smooth and successful transition process.
Before joining Netafim, Adriaan served in different roles at the Omnia Group, including as the CEO of Omnia Holdings, and Managing Director of Omnia's fertilizer business division. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in agribusiness combined with vast experience in production and services business models. Adriaan has led business growth, transformation, turnaround, and innovation in multiple multinational listed companies.
Adriaan holds a bachelor's degree in accounting sciences from the University of South Africa, and a chartered accountant qualification from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). In his new role at Netafim South Africa, Adriaan will drive, supervise, and manage all strategic and business aspects of the company. Netafim South Africa is one of 33 business units in the Netafim company. The managing director is the first in command in the South African business unit, and is responsible for building the strategic direction as well as promoting the success of its execution. Adriaan will focus on maintaining market leadership, building trusted relationships with key partners, customers, and stakeholders, overseeing all operations activities while developing new business models, and accelerating success in the SADC region.
“I want to build on the strong foundation laid by my predecessors and want to enable all Netafim employees to continue doing their jobs with excellence,” said de Lange. “I believe in the value of strategic partnerships among agribusinesses to ensure sustainable agriculture and will focus on working with other agribusinesses to help farmers grow more with less.”
Gal Yarden, SVP Head of the Netafim EMEA Division, thanked outgoing managing director, Etienne Erasmus, for his contribution to the company's growth. “He built a strong team that will continue his legacy for years to come. I wish him much joy and fulfillment on his retirement journey.”
Etienne has led Netafim South Africa since 2006. “There is now an opportunity for the next generation to build on the company's strong foundation and take it to even greater heights. I hand over the reins to Adriaan with great confidence,” he said.
For more information:
Netafim
Tel: +27 21 987 0477
Email: [email protected]
www.netafim.co.za