Michael Esmeraldo - Managing Director
Michael Esmeraldo joined Netafim South Africa in January 2015 as an Agronomist and very quickly developed his career in Netafim. We know him for his positive mindset, commercial capabilities, insight, and ability to build and foster relationships. He holds a BSc degree in Agronomy and Agricultural Economics as well as a MSc degree in Soil Science. In February 2019, Esmeraldo was appointed as Regional Sales Manager working from Netafim’s Nelspruit office and he joined the managerial team in April 2020. He has made an impact and successfully managed the Northern team by driving growth, building trusted relationships with key partners, customers, and stakeholders. In 2022, he was appointed as Managing Director. Read more here.
Focused on building a strong network in the industry, he joined the South African Irrigation Institute (SABI) early in his career. In 2021, he was elected as the youngest ever president of this industry organisation and has been leading the industry in this position ever since.
Amid changes within Netafim South Africa, the irrigation industry and the wider agricultural industry, continuity is especially important. We must ensure that both our dealers and end-users can trust in continued service. “This is why I want to build on the strong foundation laid by Adriaan, Etienne Erasmus before him, previous leaders, and team Netafim as a whole. My first focus will be to enable all Netafim employees to continue doing their jobs with excellence and help farmers grow more with less.”
The Netafim purpose is to advance life around the world by helping farmers grow more with less. How – by driving the mass adoption of precision irrigation and providing innovative precision irrigation solutions. Why – to fight water, land, and food scarcity.
“Our greatest challenge and duty in the irrigation industry is to continuously improve the way we use water and other inputs. Everyone in agriculture is feeling the pressure of what I like to call a cyclical dip in the agricultural industry. Beyond that, the industry faces many long-term challenges that tasks us to change the way we work. Luckily, tough times teaches us to be more efficient, and efficiency is exactly what we need.”
Esmeraldo believes that modern farming is not only about using the latest technology, but also about farming more efficiently. “We must use water, fertiliser, and other inputs efficiently to get optimal benefit per unit of input. This is why I am passionate about Netafim’s purpose and want to play a leading role in helping the company drive the mass adoption of precision irrigation.”
