Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is responsible for addressing governance matters and strategic issues, and is accountable to the Agbiz Council. The Council met regularly to provide mandates for positions on a range of policy matters and issues.
Sean was appointed as Managing Director of Kaap Agri Operations Limited in 2011. Prior to that he held the posisionOperational Director, responsible for all trade and product related activities as well as for a manufacturing subsidiary at Kaap Agri Limited. Sean started his career in 1990 at SA Breweries where he held various positions in operations and distribution - the final executive position being National Operations Manager. He thereafter held the position General Manager at Sefalana Holdings Company Ltd (2000 – 2001) and Operational Director at Derek Brink Holdings (2001 – 2003). Sean moved on to become General Manager for SBV Services (Pty) Ltd (Subsidiary of four of the largest banking groups in SA) where he was responsible for the logistic services for banking and retail businesses (2003 - 2004). He joined GWK Ltd as General Manager Products and later General Manager Operations and Subsidiaries (2004 – 2008). Sean obtained his Honours B.Econ (Transport Economy) at the University of Stellenbosch.
Antois joined John Deere Financial (JDF) in 2014 as head of retail finance for sub-Sahara Africa and was appointed as managing director: John Deere Financial SSA in November 2015. In 2020 he became managing director: JDF Africa and Middle East. He started his career with Clover SA as dairy advisor and agricultural economist in 1995. In 1998 he joined Standard Bank as agricultural economist and in 2002 moved into the position of provincial agricultural manager. In 2005 he joined Afgri Financial Services before heading back to the banking world in 2010 when he joined Nedbank as divisional head of agriculture. Antois was born and raised in Bloemfontein where matriculated in 1990. He obtained his B.Sc Agric (Honours) degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of the Free State and in 2005 completed his MBA degree through Open University, London and Unisa. He has been active in the financial sector in Southern and Eastern Africa since 2008 where he was involved in specialised and structured lending to Agribusinesses. He further gained experience in agricultural finance in Brazil, Australia and the USA.
Before he was appointed as Agbiz CEO in January 2022, Theo headed up the Legal Intelligence desk at Agbiz for five years after spending four years in organised agriculture with Agri SA. Under former Agbiz CEO Dr Purchase’s leadership, Theo was part of the Agbiz team that worked as a liaison between the industry and various government bodies to craft policy and legislation that affects the sector. Focus areas include land reform and property rights, natural resource legislation, commercial and competition laws as well as the regulatory environment affecting the primary and secondary agricultural sectors. Theo has represented agribusiness on several platforms such as the AgriBEE Charter Council, Operation Phakisa, and Nedlac’s Development Chamber. He has been involved in several in-depth processes on draft legislation at Nedlac and was responsible for the agricultural sector’s projects at the Jobs Summit, amongst other processes. He holds an LLM in constitutional property law (cum laude) from the North-West University, an LLB (cum laude) and an MPhil degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Pretoria. He is currently studying towards a postgraduate diploma in management with the North-West University’s Business School.
Rico Basson has served as the CEO of the newly established industry umbrella body, South Africa Wine, since its inception on 1 July 2023. In this role, Rico is tasked with steering the South African wine industry's strategic vision, ensuring that the organisation’s goals align seamlessly with the broader objectives of the industry. Under his leadership, South Africa Wine plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the sector, promoting sustainable growth, and driving long-term prosperity. Rico leads a dedicated team with a hands-on approach, providing guidance, support, and motivation to ensure the smooth progression of key projects. He also works closely with various stakeholders, cultivating strong partnerships to advance strategic initiatives and foster collaboration across the industry. Before assuming his current role, Rico served as the Managing Director of Vinpro from 2012, following a successful career in commercial banking, where he focused on agriculture and the wine sector. Over the past decade, Rico has been instrumental in repositioning the Vinpro Group, its affiliated businesses, and the South African wine and brandy industry. His efforts include spearheading a forward-looking strategic framework for the industry through 2025, with a strong emphasis on advocacy and collaboration with local and international stakeholders.
Justin Brett Chadwick was educated at Maritzburg College in Kwa Zulu Natal where he played both cricket and rugby. He studied for a BSc in Agriculture at Maritzburg University and was awarded his Masters in Agricultural Economics. He spent nine years with SA Canegrowers where he was a Director. Before that he worked as a research economist and lecturer with the then National Department of Agriculture at Cedara College in KZN, and as a consultant to agricultural investment schemes. Justin is also a qualified property valuer. In 1999 he was appointed CEO of the newly formed Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa and has had the task of bringing cohesion back into the citrus industry following de-regulation, through communication with all growers of export citrus as well as building up a strong working relationship with Government officials and other industry stakeholders. He travels extensively to countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, China, India, Indonesia and Japan to improve Market Access and has presented papers in Chile, Peru, South Korea, Japan and Morocco. He is a driving force in citrus industry collaboration between southern hemisphere citrus producing countries. With a Spanish colleague Justin was the instigator of the formation of the World Citrus Organisation – to bring unity into the global citrus sector. More recently Justin has made presentations at an OECD Seminar in Sao Paulo, Brazil (November 2018) and International Citrus Seminar in Lima, Peru (April 2019).