Experience is a priceless treasure in life’s journey. Laeveld Agrochem’s senior management team has more than 800 years of combined experience which enables us to support you as an agricultural producer with the best advice to optimise your harvest.
Laeveld Agrochem’s agents (franchisees) are qualified agronomists accredited by CropLife South Africa (formerly AVCASA).
In each region, agents receive support from experienced Business Managers, enabling detailed recommendations for both corrective and proactive measures on the farm.
Operating as a franchise business model, our dedicated team can assist growers with detailed recommendations to optimise yield per hectare.
Through strategic collaboration with our technology partner, Agri Technovation, we offer innovative solutions such as MyFarmWeb™ and Picklogger™, tailored to meet the evolving needs of modern agriculture.
In case of a poisoning emergency, please contact the numbers below.
Nick has a business administration background from Wits Business School and is a founding member of Laeveld Agrochem.
He is the Chief Executive Officer with over fifty years of experience in the crop industry. He spent twenty years of his career with Bayer Crop Science on a national basis, of which the last years as commercial manager of Bayer South Africa (sales and marketing).
As a director, Corné holds a BCom Honours degree in Marketing from the University of Pretoria and is a founding member of Laeveld Agrochem.
He aims to maintain Laeveld Agrochem’s postition as a market leader with unique innovations, products and new technology to exceed clients’ expectations.
Jantjie holds a degree in BCom Accounting from the University of Pretoria.
Since 1999, Jantjie and Corné have run various businesses together, of which Laeveld Agrochem is the most significant.
Jantjie is one of the key players in administration and strategic development.
Rudi holds a Bachelor’s degree in BCom Econometrics from the University of Pretoria. His passion for numbers and analytical thinking led him to embark on a successful career at Laeveld Agrochem.
Rudi joined Laeveld Agrochem in 1993 and has since made remarkable contributions to the organization’s growth and financial management.
Liezel is a non-executive Director and Human Resources Manager at Laeveld Agrochem. She has been involved at LAC for the past 30 years.
As Personnel Head, she is responsible for all appointments, reviewing employee benefits and optimising the growth potential of employees. Liezel also serves as chair of several internal committees.
Neel Rust boasts an impressive Honours degree in Business Management, which he obtained from the University of Stellenbosch.
He is a savvy and astute businessman whose skill set is broad in scope and high in proficiency and is a specialist in the agricultural sector, bringing with him years of experience and expertise which has contributed to his resounding success in this field. He has a meticulous individual who possesses a keen eye for detail.
Ian Mansfield has experience spanning over two decades of dedicated service to the industry. He pursued his academic journey at the University of Pretoria, where he achieved an Honours degree in BSc Agric Entomology.
He has worked at Syngenta and its legacy companies, where he worked in various roles across R&D, Marketing, and Sales. Throughout his career, Ian has continuously demonstrated unwavering commitment and exemplified his passion for tackling complex challenges.
Chris Thompson studied for a BSc Agriculture degree from Pietermaritzburg University. He spent 17 years with Bayer in R&D, technical, marketing and commercial functions.
He joined LAC in 2004 and his current roles are Technical Manager for Crop Protection and Market Development in the Northern area of RSA.
Phillip Venter has a Doctor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture. He has been the Plant Nutrition Manager at Laeveld Agrochem since 2013.
He focuses on offering services and the best plant nutrition products available through the LAC network by helping everyone in the value chain to produce more sustainably.
Portfolio growth and holistic solutions that are more environmentally friendly and profitable are sought.
Kobus Hurter holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture with experience in the management of mega scale corporate farms with vegetable crops, as well as the evaluation of farming opportunities across Africa.
He is currently focusing on small-scale farming development using specially designed starter packs as well as technologically advanced practices to help and to train small-scale farmers to grow vegetables themselves.
Cullen holds a BSc Agric degree in Applied Plant and Soil Science.
He worked at Villa Crop Protection in herbicide development for 8 years, initially the herbicide portfolio manager and later the commercial manager for Northern South African provinces.
Francois has a National Diploma and a B.Tech in Environmental Health, as well as qualifications in management development and executive management.
His experience spans environmental health, project management and internal auditing. At Laeveld Agrochem, he is involved in the development and implementation of standardised environmental health and safety systems, , training, setting up and maintaining compliance parameters for agents and interacting with authorities on legal compliance.
Johan holds a B.Com (Law) degree, as well as diplomas in financial planning, marketing and advertising.
He started at BASF Agricultural Solutions in 2013 as a Regional Sales Representative, after which he quickly advanced to Commercial Manager of the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape.
Lourens has a B.Com. Accounting from the University of Pretoria and then completed his internship. During his internship he also obtained his CIMA (Chartered Management Accountant) qualification. During this time he was part of the financial team that handled Laeveld Agrochem’s audit.
Later he got a position in the larger Laeveld Agrochem/Kickstart group as Financial Manager, and he has now been working at various companies in the group for ten years.
Kobus started his career in agriculture in 2009 as a Field Biologist after earning his master’s degree in Horticulture from Stellenbosch University. He has since held various positions, including Technical Support Manager and Marketing Specialist, where he acquired in-depth product knowledge and valuable marketing experience across the South African and Southeast African markets.
After four years as Crop Protection Lead for Southern Africa and serving as the Zonal Programme Leader for Africa and the Middle East at Corteva, Kobus joined Bayer as the Country Commercial Leader for Crop Sciences and Dekalb Seeds.
Ph.D Entomology
B.Sc Plant Pathology
B.Sc Natural Sciences
M. Tech Agriculture
B.Sc. Entomology
B.Sc. (Hons) Wildlife Management
National Diploma Agriculture (Plant Pathology)
B.Sc. Honors Degree in Environmental Management
Diploma in Business Management
B.Agric Mixed Farm Management
Ph.D Entomology
