Jan Venter is a senior lecturer in Political Studies in the School of Social and Government Studies at the North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus). He holds qualifications from the North-West University, the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany and UNISA. His PhD contained a reconstruction of the ideologies within the Tripartite Governing Alliance in South Africa.

Dr Venter's research interests include political philosophy, political economy and business intelligence. He has also participated in various research projects in collaboration with organised agriculture, helping to broaden people's understanding of the political economy and the dangers of policy uncertainty in the agricultural arena and other sectors. He sits on the editorial boards of a number of national and international academic journals.