Barefoot Matters

Prof Ranel Venter’s inaugural lecture offers a comprehensive reflection on her journey in the field of Sport Science, spanning several decades. The lecture highlights Prof Venter’s most significant academic and social impact contributions, with an emphasis on her groundbreaking research on barefoot training, as well as foot morphology and motor performance among South African children and adolescents who grow up habitually barefoot. This pioneering work has not only deepened understanding in the field, but has also led to the creation of BanziFeet, a spin-out company developed through Innovus, the Innovation and Commercialisation Division of Stellenbosch University, to provide a unique certification mark for school shoes.

WATCH THE INAUGURAL LECTURE HERE

Short biography

Prof Ranel Venter is a professor of Sport Science at Stellenbosch University (SU). Her academic journey began as a technical officer and assistant researcher in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine. Having completed her PhD in 2008, she gradually ascended through the academic ranks over the years and was ultimately promoted to full professor in April 2020.

Recognised as an established researcher by the National Research Foundation, Ranel has made significant contributions to her field. She has supervised or co-supervised 43 master’s and 11 PhD students through to graduation. Notably, one of her doctoral graduates was the first in the University’s history to complete a joint PhD between SU and KU Leuven in Belgium. Ranel has also hosted two postdoctoral research fellows and, together with her research group and collaborators, has published extensively in international and national peer-reviewed journals. Her research and publications on a holistic approach to recovery and well-being of athletes, led to her inclusion on an international panel of 14 experts on recovery in sport. She has presented her research at numerous conferences, including as invited speaker. Her work is also regularly featured in the print media and on television and radio.

Ranel’s achievements have earned her two SU Rector’s Awards (2012, 2015) as well as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies’ Award for Outstanding Research Outputs (2021). Additionally, in 2023, she received a special award from SU and its Innovation and Commercialisation Division, Innovus, for her innovative work in developing the certification mark for school shoe designs BanziFeet, an SU spin-out company.

Outside of her academic and research pursuits, Ranel enjoys a fulfilling family life with husband Willie Venter, son Willem, and their beloved rescue dog, Emma.