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"Experientia docet" - Experience is the best teacher

The Transvaal Branch of the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) was founded in 1978 and therefore this year celebrates its 25th “birthday”.

The mission of the Branch is to advance animal science and to promote viable animal production systems while sustaining natural resources and the environment, thereby enhancing welfare and wealth.

All SASAS branches operate under the auspices of the Society and have the same aims as the Society, but with activities restricted to a specific region. The region served by the Branch includes the provinces Gauteng, Limpopo and North West, with a possibility of Mpumulanga to be added soon. In view of the new provincial dispensation, the name of the Branch was changed last year to the Northern Branch.

The Branch is – may we dare to say – the strongest of all the branches of the Society, with more than 50 full members and a dozen student members.

The main activities of the Branch are:

  • An annual symposium, workshop or expo
    Annually, usually in or near Pretoria during August, the Branch organises a symposium, workshop or expo. In 2001 the theme of our symposium “The love triangle of reproduction: Breeding, Nutrition and Physiology”, proved to be very popular. Last year – as those of you who were present may recall – we organised an expo where we focused on new developments and job opportunities in the animal science and related industries. We are already planning for this year’s event, which will probably be a workshop on the professional status of the animal scientist.
    Because there are a number of tertiary institutions in our area providing education in animal science/production, our Branch focus on catering for the needs of these students.
  • News letter
    Three issues of the informative Northern Branch Forum are distributed per year to all members of the Branch.
  • Co-host of the Merit Awards Function
    One of the annual highlights of the Branch is the join hosting, with the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences, of the Merit Awards Function for animal science UP students. At this function – as you probably know by now – bursaries and merit awards are presented to deserving students in animal science. The SASAS Northern Branch merit award to the best third year student in animal science is annually presented at this event.
  • Nominations for SASAS medals
    The Branch annually identifies SASAS members who rendered distinguished service to the animal industry, for nomination of an appropriate medal by the Society.

We invite you to join the Northern Branch and become a member of the Professional, Progressive, Pro-active, Positive, Productive and Prosperous family of animal scientists in South Africa.

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