Casidra Q&A: Dr Keith du Plessis

Dr Keith du Plessis is the new CEO of Casidra, the local government's enterprise for the improvement of the lives of people living in rural areas.

On 1 June 2022, Dr Keith du Plessis was inaugurated as CEO of Cape Agency for Sustainable Integrated Development in Rural Areas (Casidra), an enterprise of the Western Cape Government that’s concerned with the improvement of the lives of people living in rural areas.

More about Keith du Plessis

Dr Du Plessis’ experience spans more than 19 years in the Agriculture value-chain in various capacities ranging from Research and Development (R&D) to Investment and Trade Promotion.

He spent more than nine years in the Agricultural R&D space at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in Stellenbosch and more than ten years as Head of the Agro-processing sector at the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

Keith du Plessis image2 April 2022 rotated — Dr Keith du Plessis, CEO of Casidra

Why is Casidra’s work so important?

Casidra’s mandate is “agricultural and economic development within a rural and land reform context”. We seek to improve the lives of people living in the rural areas of the Western Cape through sustainable integrated development.

The Company, alongside its shareholder, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, aims to ensure job security and improve the wellbeing of the people in these areas. The work done by Casidra is, therefore, crucial in ensuring that the marginalised communities in the Province are reached and developed to their potential.

What will your priorities be for the next few months as CEO?

At this moment, my key priority will be to gain an understanding of Casidra’s internal environment. I look forward to getting to know the entire team and building solid relationships with the people on the ground who actually make things happen at Casidra. It is vital for me to truly understand the organisational culture and our value proposition.

Concurrently, my priority will be to engage critical external stakeholders. This will provide the necessary scaffold for supporting and leading the organisation by interrogating Casidra’s value proposition and seeking new business opportunities.

What are the challenges affecting the wine industry in particular?

I need to admit that I’ve been out of the loop for the past ten years. I’ve fully emerged myself in attracting investment to the Eastern Cape during my tenure at the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) and primarily focused on unlocking barriers to agro-processing and aquaculture investment in the Eastern Cape.

However, I look forward to reconnecting with former colleagues in the wine industry. At a high level though, it appears as if the issues around transformation in the wine industry remain relevant. Beside the high capital costs being a barrier to new entrants in the industry, the development and support of emerging wine farmers and wine makers must, in my opinion, be prioritised.

What would you like to achieve during your tenure?

A maxim I live by is to positively impact the lives of people I encounter. I believe this ties in beautifully with Casidra’s mandate, which is to ensure agricultural and economic development within a rural and land reform context.

I want this organisation to continue to partner with people living and working in the rural areas of the Western Cape, seeking opportunities to improve livelihoods. I envision an expansion of Casidra’s reach and for it to become a sustainable entity being able to stand on its own.

Holsloot Weir jpg — Disaster Risk Reduction at Holsloot Weir

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

My appointment as a CEO of a state-owned company ranks up there as one of my highlights. However, being appointed as Business Development Manager at the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) in 2012 and transitioning from a space dominated by natural science into one of business management and investment attraction was truly a highlight for me.

For a decade, I had the honour to serve the people of the Eastern Cape. As the newly appointed CEO of Casidra, I wish to build on my past experiences and lessons learnt to serve the people of the Western Cape in the best possible way.