It is with great sadness that we have learned the demise of Dr. Derek Alexander Watt, after a short illness on 17 March 2026, at the age of sixty-six. Derek retired as Research Manager in August 2024, after 26 years of dedicated service to the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI). During his tenure, he managed the research and development initiatives and performance of a team of 40 professional scientists, across diverse disciplines within the agronomic and biological sciences. He also liaised with departments and funding agencies of the government of the Republic of South Africa, particularly those administered by the National Research Foundation (NRF). His contribution over that time included his role as a NRF-rated researcher and Senior Scientist in Biotechnology working on projects encompassing sucrose metabolism, sugarcane physiology, aluminium tolerance and cane deterioration. He was a committed mentor to staff, supervised nine post-graduate students and authored/co-authored nine South African Sugar Technologists’ Association (SASTA) papers, five International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ISSCT) publications, and 17 international journal articles. From 2006-2010, Derek also served as Manager of SASRI’s Variety Improvement Programme.
His impact within the sugarcane research community was built on strong academic positions and performance in his earlier career at several South African universities. He retained honorary recognition and collaborative links with Stellenbosch University, particularly with its Institute for Plant Biotechnology, and with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). At UKZN Westville campus, he made a remarkable contribution to the Faculty of Life Sciences, by taking on the challenge of developing protocols and curricula aimed at bridging the gap in the learning and educational abilities of first-year students. His departure to join SASRI was regarded as a significant loss to the faculty.
He served as a Member, and later Chair, of the Molecular Biology Section Committee of the Biology Commission of the ISSCT from 2007-2019 and 2019-2024 respectively, and was the South African representative on the International Consortium for Sugarcane Biotechnology.
Derek’s passion and commitment to the sugar industry was instrumental in ensuring a seamless interface between research, knowledge management and extension for delivery of strategic objectives. He was a highly valued member of SASRI’s Management Committee and led an important initiative to strengthen participatory research engagement between research specialists and small-scale growers.
His contributions as a scientist, mentor and manager were significant, and he executed his interactions with kindness, passion and a healthy dose of dry humour that gained him many friends in the local and global sugarcane research communities. He was known for politely, yet firmly refuting inaccurate assertions, for being an astute and acute listener, and as an excellent judge of character.
He is survived by his wife Paula, with whom he enjoyed 18 months of retired life in Lisbon, Portugal.
Derek’s leadership, scientific excellence, and dedication to the advancement of the sugarcane industry will be remembered with deep respect and gratitude.
Dr. Sandra Snyman
South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI)