Mr Edwin Hlangwani

Mr Edwin Hlangwani has shown the potential to become a leading enthnomicrobiologist, specialising in the creation of a nexus between emerging technologies and indigenous knowledge systems to develop, optimise and mobilise sustainable food systems in rural and semi-urban areas. Rural communities in Southern Africa continue to depend on marula fruit and its beverage products as a staple food source, particularly during times of drought and food scarcity. Thus, his focus is to address research gaps in the marula fruit value chain, with the aim to extend the shelf life of marula fruit products and enhance their commercial viability. His current project pioneers the application of cold-contact fermentation using wild, non- Saccharomyces yeast species. Mr Hlangwani is a final-year PhD student at the University of Johannesburg where he previously earned a Master’s degree (cum laude). To date, he has published eight journal articles and three book chapters. His most recent article on the functionalisation of low-alcohol marula fruit beer received the 2024 Plants Travel Award from the journal Plants (MDPI, Switzerland). Mr Edwin Hlangwani is the current 2024/25 Chairperson of the IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition (Institute of Food Technologists, USA).