She was also the recipient of the Renaissance Postgraduate Scholarship to promote equity, diversity and excellence in the ranks of academic staff from 2000-2002. She won the prestigious Best Dissertation Award from the Family Firm Institute (Boston, USA) in 2003 based on her dissertation titled “Succession in small and medium-sized family businesses in South Africa”. She was the Emerging Researcher of the year of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences in 2007 and the Faculty’s Researcher of the Year in 2010 and 2015. She got the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2003 from the old UPE. Prof E Venter won the the Nelson Mandela Excellence in Engagement Individual Award for 2017 and also receive a National Research Foundation rating (C1) in 2018.
She has also published more than 90 articles in non-academic journals, magazines and newspapers such as Landbouweekblad, Farmers Weekly, Dairy Mail, Sunday Times and Die Burger on topics ranging from small business management, succession in family businesses and the role of women in family businesses. Prof Venter has also been invited more than twelve times over the years to lecture Entrepreneurship and Marketing Communications Management in Germany and the Netherlands. She is a member of the Family Firm Institute based in Boston, USA, a representative on the Faculty RTI Committee of the Nelson Mandela University, to name but a few.
Prof Venter is also a consultant to family businesses all over South Africa and has a passion for families and to see them flourish and grow in their businesses and families. Her passion is people and to make a difference in people’s and her students’ lives. Elmarie is married to Johan and has children, Juané (19) and Eric (16). Elmarie loves to participate in sports and has been participating in triathlons since 2010. She completed three Ironman Triathlons up to date.