By Joy January
Doc Faffa, as he’s affectionately known in the agricultural industry, was inducted into the Agriculture Hall of Fame in March 2023. He is South Africa’s first virtual vet who provides weekly advice to farmers on Landbouweekliks, and a regular speaker at African Farming’s Livestock Farmers Days.
“It was an absolute surprise to me, and I felt very small receiving the award,” Dr Faffa Malan told Landbou.com. Recently, he became the first vet to be inducted into the South African Agriculture Hall of Fame. The presentation of the award was held at the Africa Agri Tech (AAT) conference in the SunBet arena in Pretoria.
The award was designed to honour the recipient for their lifelong involvement in the agriculture industry. Dr Faffa has been working as a vet for 55 years. “I am very proud to be honoured as a vet. There were many people who played a role in my life and contributed to my service delivery, and I therefore also want to receive this award on their behalf.”
Dr Faffa got his veterinary qualifications in Pretoria after which he worked at a private veterinary practice in Vrede for eight years. Nowadays he is a manager at the Ruminant Veterinary Association of South Africa (RuVasa).
He is also a manager at Hoechst in Malelane where he is responsible for the marketing, product management and technical support of Intervet products. Furthermore, he is an active member of the management committee of the Nasional Animal Health Forum where he strives to provide leadership to ensure that South Africa is positioned as a world leader in terms of animal health status.
“I am also involved with African Farming where I train up-and-coming farmers so that they too can be successful in agriculture in terms of livestock diseases, breeding and reproduction,” he said.
Faffa thanked Landbou.com and Landbouweekblad for providing a platform where he can act as a veterinary consultant to farmers and inform and train them in this way. For decades now, he has answered readers’ questions regarding animal illnesses through the panel of experts in Vra vir Faffa. He also shares his knowledge with readers through inserts in Landbouweekliks.
His determination was proven by his good service delivery in a field he is passionate about, even while being seriously ill after being infected with the Covid-19 virus in 2021. He inspired other farmers to strive towards their own passions despite the various problems in life.
“I view this award as a notable legacy in the agriculture community,” he concluded.
