Against this background a Bethlehem agricultural economist, Dr Philip Theunissen, has developed three courses which take into account the specific financial recordkeeping and tax calculation requirements as well as the marketing of agricultural products of a farm. These courses are presented by his wife, Marlize, under the name of Agekon Academy, CC. Dr Theunissen completed a B Com degree in 1982 at the Potchefstroom University and did the Hons B Com and M Com degrees at UNISA afterwards. He completed a Ph D at the PU for CHE during 1998. Since 1983 he practised as a agricultural economist in the agricultural sector where he, amongst other occupations, was chief of a financial bureau service at a co-operative and the accountant of a farming company. He established his own private financial bureau service in 1991 for farmers in the Eastern Free State. Marlize completed a B Mus degree in 1982, a Higher Education Diploma in 1883 and a National Diploma in Accountancy at the Technicon South Africa. She also completed a certificate course in distance education at UNISA during 1997.

What makes these courses even more unique is that tuition is given by correspondence, so that the farmer, or perhaps more probably his wife, can do them at home. The courses comprise self evaluting assignments over a period that suits the student with a voluntary open book examination at the end of that time.

The courses are now presented for the fifth consecutive year and was evaluated by the South African Agricultural Union during 1996. Their comment was: "To the extent that there is still a shoebox mentality among farmers when it comes to financial record-keeping and tax administration, the courses provide the necessary material for making real progress in the direction of greater order and expertise. Translating tax law in particular into simple language is not an easy task. In our opinion the author has really succeeded in doing this."

All courses are currently available in Afrikaans.  Only the Accounting For Farmers course is now also available in English. The cost for each course is R342.00 (Inclusive of VAT) each which include all study material as well as the prescribed manuals. Anyone interested in the courses can complete the registration form from the home page or get more information by phoning or faxing Marlize Theunissen in Bethlehem on (058) 303-9640, or writing to PO Box 1615, Bethlehem, 9700, Republic of South Africa.