MARCH 2018 EDITION

Contents
  • President’s message
  • Membership matters
  • Keeping up to date
  • Technical news
  • Schools’ Awards
  • Training
  • SABI magazine
  • Website

President’s message - Willie Vosloo

Welcome
Firstly, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the new SABI Council:  thank you for your willingness to participate and give of your valuable time to serve on the SABI leadership and make important inputs from all our regions of South Africa. Many thanks are also in order to our past president, Mr Tony Ewels for sharing his inputs and wisdom over the last two years.

To all our members, great to meet you – albeit virtually – and I hope SABI will continue to be useful and informative to you, as a professional member of the irrigation community. Please feel free to contact me or fellow Council members with any suggestions and inputs.

I hope and pray that this year will bring good rainfall to normalise water supply to the cities and for agricultural use. If the supply returns to normal again we must earnestly continue to use water wisely and efficiently to prevent future water crises conditions. Please do continue praying for good rain in the drought-stricken areas of our country.

May you have a happy Easter, Passover and (mini) holiday season!

Willie Vosloo

Membership matters
  • Please note that SABI membership invoices were sent to all members in February. We would appreciate it if you pay your membership fee as soon as possible.
  • Paid-up members will receive a Certificate of Verification to prove that they are paid-up members for the year.
  • Please note that members who have not paid their 2017 membership fees are no longer SABI members.
Keeping up to date
  • When you have a minute, please do have a look at your SABI membership status please. If you think you need to upgrade your membership category, please contact Riana on riana@sabi.co.za.
  • We appeal to members to attend at least one branch meeting a year.  Please do attend, keep in touch and participate in all there is SABI offers you, as this ensures you remain an active member of the Institute.
  • Write article for SABI magazine, it is good publicity for your career and assists you to keep current.
  • Renewal of membership for SABI Approved Designers.  Remember that it is important to accumulate points to maintain your SABI Approved Designer status.  There are several Approved Designer Members who did not accumulate the required 5 points during last two years term.

Technical news

Norms

The Design Norms for agriculture are updated and available on the website, www.sabi.co.za.
We are busy updating:

  • Design Norms for landscape
  • The Code of Practice for Agricultural & Landscape

SABI is also on a mission to promote Design Fees by publishing articles in the SABI Magazine and other media.

Irrigation design complaints

SABI receives complaints from time to time and investigates irrigation systems.  We regularly publish articles in the media on the topic “what is expected from an irrigation designer”.

Professional Affiliation

SABI is in the process of registering as a professional body with SAQA.  The purpose for this is two-fold:

  • Registration of “Irrigation Designer” as a recognized occupation.
  • Registration of the “SABI Approved Designer” status as a professional designation.

Schools irrigation course

SABI IrrigationWise Training Academy was delighted recently to present the Awards for the top learners of 2017 on its Schools Irrigation Course. Since 2011 SABI has offered the course at some agricultural schools in the Western Cape, and recently thanks to its Adopt-A-School initiative, more schools are signing up for the course in other provinces. The course is a two-and-a-half-day event for Grade 11s.

Learners who scooped the winning Awards were Arno Loots (Boland Landbouskool, Paarl), Elzette van Schalkwyk (Augsburg Landbougimnasium, Clanwilliam), Jandre Barnard (Marlow Landbouskool, Cradock) Robin Hess (De Rust Futura Academy, Grabouw) and Jan Ernst Brink (Oakdale Landbouskool, Riversdale).

This worthy endeavour is supported by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, who started funding the project in2014. Since 2017, SABI company members have also pitched in to lend a hand by backing the endeavour. Many thanks to the many SABI company members who are involved in this. At the event in Somerset West, Western Cape, SABI IrrigationWise’s Schools Program’s.

Annemarie van der Westhuizen thanked all those involved, including Andre Roux and Peter Kreuk (Western Cape government – Fruitlook); Netafim and Cherry Irrigation (micro and drip irrigation); CropSystems (capacitance probes used in scheduling); Agrico and Lindsay Africa (centre pivots; Franklin and Grundfos (basics of pump selection) IrriGator and Mottech (control systems and VSD’s). Guest speakers at the event included ICID president and SABI secretary/treasurer Felix Reinders and water and drought specialist in the office of the Premier, Western Cape Andre Roux.

For further information on Adopt-A-School or the course, please contact info@sabi.co.za or annemarie@sabi.co.za
 

Training

The 2018 Training brochure (agriculture & landscape) is available on the SABI website. Make sure you book your training timeously.  You are welcome to contact Isobel van der Stoep to arrange a quote if you wish for in-house, customized courses for your department, organization or business.

SABI MAGAZINE

Africa’s only irrigation and water conservation magazine, SABI Magazine April/May 2018 edition
focuses on…

  • Climate chance and efficient growing
  • Drip irrigation
  • Water purification
  • Renewable energy and saving electricity
  • Pipes, pumps and valves

Please be in touch for editorial or news items (news on launches, company developments, new products etc) with carol@sabi.co.za; or book your advertisements with riana@sabi.co.za. Visit the SABI website to browse the Rate card and Features for 2018.

 

Visit: www.sabi.co.za

Visit the new SABI website, it’s your window into irrigation opportunities.
Increasingly recruitment consultants are using the SABI website to advertise job opportunities in irrigation. Also consider using the website for your job advertisements – this has proved successful for several companies seeking irrigation talent.

SABI, www.sabi.co.za and 021 850 8220