About SAAFECS
SAAFECS was founded in 1998
About SAAFECS
About Us
THE SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY ECOLOGY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES (SAAFECS) is a professional association composed of scholars, educators, and students in the discipline of Consumer Sciences.
This discipline includes various areas of specialisation focusing on Food, Nutrition, Fashion and Clothing, Interior Design and Merchandising, Consumer Journalism and Hospitality Management. This discipline covers two different perspectives:
(a) to enlighten, educate and advise the consumer or individual and
(b) to consider the consumer as part of a larger economic and social environment where decisions are made, products are bought and an exchange of information and resources takes place.
This particular discipline places the consumer in an environment where personal decisions about their health, well-being and lifestyle, through the consumption and purchase of such items as food and clothing or services that are used, are made.
It is here where other disciplines practiced by nutritionists, dieticians, family ecologists and others find a useful link with the interests of the Consumer Scientists at SAAFECS.
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This approach deviates from Home Economics to the extent that Consumer Sciences places focus on how the consumer operates within the larger economic paradigm and not on a smaller individual or family system; although the consumer does function within these environments. This means that the decisions consumers’ make, rely on knowledge about nutrition, food, textiles and many other areas which will influence their choice of product, the way they are influenced and their decision to purchase.
Consumer Science is interested in determining where consumers lack knowledge to make responsible decisions regarding healthy living and how consumer education can assist in narrowing these gaps. Consumer Sciences also understands the behaviour consumers apply during their decision processes and this may guide product development.
Overall, Consumer Sciences is a more market driven discipline aimed at understanding the consumer, assisting in informing the consumer and helping manufacturers and industry make appropriate and well-informed consumer product decisions that would be to the benefit of the consumer whether it is to assist healthy food choices, more economic purchasing decisions or just to be an informed and responsible citizen.
This is what makes Consumer Sciences unique, as it is a discipline that strengthens both the consumer and the larger market driven environment.
by EL Kempen
Our Mission
As a Professional association, we act as a forum in South Africa to:
• Promote Consumer Sciences as an integrated scientific discipline and profession.
• Support the continuation of Consumer Science and Home Economics within and beyond the boundaries of South Africa.
• Improve contact amongst and enhancing expertise of members.
• Pro-actively advocate the quality of life of individuals, families, communities and consumers.
• Expand the Consumer Science discipline nationally and internationally.
• Improve and contribute to the continuation of Consumer Studies at secondary educational institutions as well as the empowerment of educators in Consumer Studies and related educational fields.
Executive Committee
Prof. Adri Du Toit
(President of SAAFECS)
specialises in teacher education and curriculum development at the Faculty of Education of the North-West University.
She graduated with a PhD in Consumer Sciences in 2018. Her focus is on preparing teachers for Consumer Studies education in the Further Education and Training phase, and Technology (as a school subject) in the Senior Phase of the South African school curriculum.
To attain this goal, she conducts and publishes research regarding pedagogical and curriculum issues in these two subject areas.
She is passionate about and currently concentrating on developing entrepreneurship education in both these school subjects, with the aim of contributing to the preparation of learners for a world where they will increasingly have to create their own employment or income-generating opportunities.
She enjoys collaborating with researchers from across the globe but particularly with academics that share the challenges and delights of education on the African continent. NRF C2-rated researcher and enjoys collaborating.
Dr Lorna Truter
(Vice-President; Webmaster)
is a senior lecturer in the Department of Life and Consumer Sciences at UNISA. After obtaining her PhD in Consumer Sciences in 2018, she completed a Masters degree in Open Distance Learning from the University of Maryland University College and UNISA in 2019 paving the way for research opportunities in distance education.
Her research focus is on sustainability practices related to consumer behaviour (specifically related to consientious consumption), as well as the African pedagogies that promotes self-determined learning for students.
She also has a strong interest in decolonial education for Africa making her research multi-disciplinary in nature.
She collaborates with various researchers from the Global North to the Global South aiming to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to the African voice in academia.
Dr. Mariette Strydom
(Treasurer)
is a lecturer in the Department of Life and Consumer Sciences at the University of South Africa. She graduated with a PhD in Consumer Sciences in 2019 from the University of South Africa. She holds a M Consumer Science (Clothing Management) from the University of Pretoria, and undergraduate qualification in Home Economics (Clothing and Interior).
Her academic work integrates teaching, research, and community engagement, with a strong commitment to sustainability, entrepreneurship, skills development, and social impact through fashion and apparel education. She has extensive experience in open distance and e-learning (ODeL), curriculum development, assessment design, and quality assurance.
Her research focus is sustainable apparel entrepreneurship and product development. She is passionate about the empowerment of informal fashion entrepreneurs in emerging markets, with additional research interests in garment fit and clothing-related consumer behaviour.
Ms. Reba Motlogelwa
(Social Media & Marketing Coordinator)
Holds the position of Hospitality Management Lecturer in the Department of Life and Consumer Sciences at the University of South Africa.
Reba is an academic professional with over 12 years of experience in higher education. Her expertise lies in Hospitality Management and Education, with a strong focus on Open Distance eLearning (ODeL), curriculum development, and community engagement. In her spare time Reba enjoys interior design, photography and creating new recipes.
Dr. Jana Vermaas
(Secretarty)
is a Lecturer in Sustainable Food Systems and Development at the University of the Free State. She holds a PhD in Consumer Science, and her work is positioned at the intersection of textile science and sustainable consumption. Her research focuses on developing sustainable, high-performance textile materials from natural and bio-based fibres, alongside exploring consumption practices related to food waste and sustainability.
A strong commitment to sustainability and innovation drives her work. She actively collaborates with industry partners and supervises postgraduate students, contributing to practical, research-informed solutions that support circular and regenerative systems across both textiles and food.
Dr Chanelle Kemp
(Administrator)
is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psycho-Social Education at the North-West University (NWU), Potchefstroom Campus. She obtained her BSc in Human Movement Science and Nutrition (2005), Honours in Kinderkinetics (2006), MSc in Human Movement Science (2009), and PhD in Human Movement Science (2013) from the NWU. In addition, she completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (2018) at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Before joining the academic staff of the NWU in 2021, Dr. Kemp spent 10 years teaching Physical Education at various primary schools. In her current role, she teaches undergraduate modules and supervises master’s and doctoral students in the field of Physical Education. Her research focus centres on motor development, learning-related problems, physical activity, obesity in children, physical education, childhood nutrition, and the health and well-being of children, with a strong emphasis on early intervention and diet intervention to promote holistic child development.
Prof Joseph Roberson
(Journal editor)
serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Consumer Sciences and is an Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at Tshwane University of Technology. Over a career exceeding three decades, he has supervised two doctoral and eighteen master’s studies to completion and is currently guiding several doctoral and master’s candidates. His scholarship focuses on service quality, employability, and the integration of technology, including AI, within the contexts of hospitality and consumer services, with a steady record of peer-reviewed publications and conference contributions.
Prof Roberson has held significant academic leadership roles (including Head of Department), contributed to programme accreditation and quality reviews at South African universities, and reviewed for national funding and rating processes. His teaching and research leadership have been recognised through multiple Lecturer of the Year awards and consecutive Emerging Researcher of the Year honours at the faculty level.
Dr Niel Muller
(Additional Member)
is a part-time lecturer in the Department of Consumer and Food Science at the University of Pretoria, as well as in the Department of Marketing, Supply Chain and Sports Management at the Tshwane University of Technology. He combines his interest in design principles, aesthetics, marketing, and business operations with a strong commitment to fostering knowledge in both contact and online educational environments.
He holds a Doctorate from the University of Pretoria, where his research explored gender differentiation in consumer perceptions of South African clothing retailers’ corporate social responsibility initiatives. His academic journey is complemented by his background as a qualified graphic designer, through which he integrates business objectives with creative execution.
Niel’s passion lies in empowering students with both practical skills and theoretical knowledge, with the aim of innovating and advancing the field of consumer sciences.
Prof Marike Venter de Villiers
(Special edition Journal editor)
Prof Marike Venter de Villiers is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a creative-minded individual with a keen interest in consumer psychology and sustainability within the clothing and textiles industry. She completed her PhD in Business Sciences in 2016 from the University of the Witwatersrand where she has been teaching and conducting research since 2011. She is a former Head of Department for Marketing at the School of Business Sciences (Wits). Her passion lies in understanding consumer decision-making and factors that drive pro-environmental behaviour, with the aim of developing a more sustainable circular economy in the fashion industry. Other research interests include sensory marketing, retail management, fashion marketing, social marketing, and emerging markets.
Research & Publications