Prof Lembe Magwaza
Rated Researcher
Lembe Magwaza is Professor and holder of the South Africa–German Bilateral Research Chair in Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems for Food Security (SARChI SuReFoodS). An NRF C2-rated scientist, he is internationally recognised for his work in postharvest technology, sustainable horticulture, plant physiology, digital agriculture, and resilient food systems. His research integrates sensor technologies, machine learning, chemometrics, and high-throughput phenotyping to reduce postharvest losses, improve food quality, and strengthen climate resilience across agrifood value chains.
Over more than 25 years, Prof Magwaza has led interdisciplinary research and curriculum transformation across Africa, the UK, and Asia, including initiatives with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Jiangsu University, and Cranfield University. He has also contributed to international programmes such as the Clean Cooling Network.
Prof Magwaza has supervised 15 PhD and 32 MSc students and mentored five postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now occupy senior academic, leadership, and policy positions. He is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA), Associate Editor for Frontiers in Plant Science, Editorial Board Member for Foods, and affiliated with the Academy of Science of South Africa and the International Society for Horticultural Science.