About Us
Our History
Built on Vision, Experience, and a Commitment to Impact
VGL Dimensions was founded in 2019, born from the shared vision of three seasoned experts — Elphus Mkhwebane, Santie van Niekerk, and Vinay Moodley — who together bring over 60 years of collective experience in the food industry.
Motivated by a desire to transform customer service and drive innovation, VGL Dimensions was built on a powerful blueprint philosophy: saving lives, changing lives, and creating a better future — not just for our customers, but for our employees and the broader industry.
At the heart of VGL Dimensions lies an unwavering commitment to professional excellence, integrity, and ethical best practices. We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we foster a work culture centred on continuous skills development, motivation, and well-being. This strong foundation, laid by our visionary founders, continues to drive our mission and shape our future.
Our Expertise
VGL Dimensions offers SANAS-accredited laboratory testing services alongside specialized consulting, auditing, inspection, and training solutions across the food and related industries.
With a meticulous approach supported by robust quality management systems, we ensure optimal objectivity, regulatory compliance, and service excellence at every stage.
What truly sets VGL Dimensions apart is our versatility and adaptability in delivering exceptional customer service. We specialize in designing customized solutions that meet each client’s unique needs while maintaining the highest standards of compliance and quality. Whether through laboratory testing, expert consulting, regulatory auditing, or hands-on facilitation, we are committed to helping businesses uphold best practices, manage risks effectively, and enhance operational efficiency.
Our Vision for the Future
VGL Dimensions is more than a service provider — we are a catalyst for meaningful change in the industry.
Through our steadfast commitment to professionalism, ethics, and innovation, we are reshaping the future of customer service and compliance excellence.
By leading with diligence, expertise, and an unwavering passion for quality, VGL Dimensions continues to make a lasting impact — one solution, one partnership, and one success story at a time.
For businesses seeking a trusted partner in food industry compliance, quality assurance, and continuous improvement, VGL Dimensions is the partner of choice for reliable, results-driven solutions.
Our Vision
What We Believe
Most see a world void of tolerance, everyday life is influenced by inappropriate business practices, ethnic tensions are rife, world class health care is reserved for the wealthy; unemployment has become a bigger pandemic than Covid and famine is ever increasing while food security is ever decreasing.
We do not see this world. We see a world where inspired people create opportunities, a world where every other human can thrive, be healthy, secure a future for their children, respect and appreciate our diversity.
We see a sustainable, safe, healthy and accessible food supply to all. We see a thriving South Africa, a country eager to move forward and share the success with the rest of the world.
Our Values
What is Important to Us
Love
Love, Belonging and Safety for our team, clients and society drives us.
Love is our highest value. At the heart of our strength in the market is that we practice love as a team.
For us love reflects:
- Letting go of judgement of each other’s and our clients.
- We don’t expect perfection from each other. For us, realness matters most.
- Love means that we accept, celebrate and make space for each other’s differences and that we celebrate the unique experience that we all bring to the table.
- Love means that every member of the team has a voice that can be safely expressed.
Family
Our work keeps families safe and healthy throughout the world, including our own.
FAMILY SITS AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO.
We believe that healthy, loving, safe families are at the foundation of healthy societies.
By honouring family, we strengthen the social bonds that make up the societies we are part of.
A healthy family facilitates the freedom to fully be who we are and to give expression to our whole selves without fear of judgement, exclusion and rejection.
Empathy, Compassion & Respect
The world can be harsh and uncompromising. We are not.
Judgement is corrosive. It does not create safe spaces in which we can be safe and fully ourselves. When we are not fully ourselves, the world loses out on the ideas and the ideals we have to offer.
We observe empathy and compassion by recognising that we are human and that we all hurt and we all make mistakes. We see each other through the lens of our common humanity.
Respect is the currency of the relationships we create with each other and with our clients.
Integrity
We do the right thing, especially when it is hard and when no one is looking. In doing this we cultivate trust in our brand and in our people.
The work we do is about keeping people well and keeping them alive.
Courage
We honour our values and the integrity of our brand even when it is unpopular.
We challenge the status quo when our mission is compromised and we strive to raise the standards in the industry.
Servant Leadership
We lead by serving each other, our clients and the public. By practicing our values, we offer our example as the most powerful influence we have.
Leadership is not about a job description. It is about the example we give others, and it is about the safety we create for them to bring their best to shine.
We are proud to be part of this family. Join us, on the journey, as we make a difference.
Meet the Leadership Team
Experienced. Passionate. Committed to Excellence.
Elphus Mkhwebane
Co-Founder and Director
Elphus Mkhwebane is a qualified meat inspector who holds multiple academic qualifications related to food and meat products hygiene and processing. In the 23 years’ experience, he has been involved in consulting, training and food safety auditing different global food safety management systems for food production facilities, retail, fast food chains and food testing laboratories. He has achieved academic qualifications in different academic institutions that include Tshwane University of Technology, University of Pretoria and TUV Rheinland (Germany). In addition, he has been involved in academia lecturing and innovative research related to environment and public health for over a decade. His passion is in meat hygiene, safety and quality and all inputs and role played in those sectors to ensure public safety.
As the co-founder and director of VGL Dimensions (Pty) Ltd, Elphus has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s vision and strategic direction. His leadership emphasizes operational excellence, staff development, and client-focused service delivery. He remains committed to fostering a motivated workforce and driving innovation that aligns with the company’s core mission of quality and safety.
Santie van Niekerk
Co-Founder and Director
With well over 20 years’ experience in her field of expertise, Santie van Niekerk has achieved recognisable milestones as a modern era professional. She holds a Baccalaureus Degree in Biomedical Technology and Total Quality Management (TQM) from Tshwane University of Technology and University of South Africa, respectively. In addition, she is a well-established mentor, coach and facilitator of different Leadership Programs to managers and leaders in the scientific, agriculture, food and beverage, manufacturing, services and mining industries. Furthermore, Santie has an illustrious career experience in the medical, food and environmental laboratory industry fields analysis, testing and management. Her insight in analysis, practical experience in industry trends and compliance has led her to be a well establish facilitator, auditor and management system expert in ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO 9001. Her passion in management systems has ardently defined her as one of the best in her field of expertise.
Santie is a director and co-founder of VGL Dimensions (Pty) Ltd and MiChem Dynamics (Pty) Ltd. Her intention is to promote professionalism, passion by industry leaders and managers and also to provide tools to discover their own leadership potential. Santie strives by her lifelong moto to create healing organisations in order to save lives, change lives and to create a better future with her contributions.
Vinay Moodley
Co-Founder and Director
Having been a hands-on leader in multiple disciplines of laboratory management systems, Vinay Moodley has crafted his 14-year career skills from national and international organisations in the field of his of expertise. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology & Biochemistry from the University of Kwazulu-Natal. Vinay’s assorted achievements range from consulting at numerous laboratories in South Africa and neighbouring countries to achieving various laboratory management systems accreditations. His drive for excellence in implementation of laboratory management systems, has led him to be one of the best ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 facilitator, auditor and an expert. He is known for his down to earth approach to his professional career with a vast knowledge to share.
Vinay is a director and co-founder of VGL Dimensions (Pty) Ltd and MiChem Dynamics (Pty) Ltd. These two companies he helped to conceptualise and establish in order to fulfil his philosophy of service excellence, respect and a vision to promote laboratory management systems that will save lives, change lives and create a better future. He provides management and technical leadership to more than 12 different types of professional qualifications in the two companies he owns. A true family man at heart who lives with the values of honesty, accountability and integrity.
