Empowerment

Experts in integrated pest management are gaining importance as fruit-importing countries tighten their phytosanitary regulations. Nadine Botha, technical and commercial manager at Insectec, spoke to Magda du Toit about her journey from growing up in a small mining town to taking on a leading role in the field.

A Harvest is revolutionising the fight against hunger in South Africa by rescuing surplus food from going to waste, redistributing it to vulnerable communities, and tackling systemic issues like food insecurity. Ozzy Nel, chief operating officer at SA Harvest, spoke to Sinenhlanhla Mncwango about the tangible impact the non-profit organisation is having on vulnerable communities.

Hendrik Eksteen, CEO of Grow Fresh Produce Agents, says maintaining farmer relationships is key to the company’s success.

HarvestFresh Farms and Thebe Investment Corporation are committed not only to growing this already-thriving business but uplifting the community in the process.

Bakhusele Mathupha is the founder of Phawu Likum AgriPak, a rural agroecology co-operative based in the small town of kuGatyane in the Eastern Cape. Through this initiative, he has introduced a food forest to help combat food insecurity in the local community. Mathupha spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how collaboration, education, and a shared commitment to the land are empowering community members to create a self-sustaining food system while restoring the local environment.

Lindie-Alet van Staden from L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek was named the 2024 Prestige Agri Worker of the Year. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel at her vegetable garden in Somerset West.

Family-run Glendower Farm in Pedie, Eastern Cape, spans 200ha of fertile land that carries the weight of generations. At its helm is Sdelo Mikhail Ceza, who spoke to Fidelis Zvomuya about his passion for farming.

Fidelis Zvomuya spoke to two of Limpopo’s young agripreneurs about their hopes and ambitions for the future, and how, with the right support, the impossible becomes possible.

According to Vincent Mhlonitshwa, making the transition from a communal to a successful commercial farmer requires mentorship. Mike Burgess visited him near Elliot in the Eastern Cape to better understand how a mentor helped establish the foundations on which he built a mixed farming operation on less than 1 500ha.

Matebogo Victoria leads the VoiceOut Deaf Cooperative, creating job opportunities in agriculture for the deaf community while championing empowerment and inclusion.

An experimental ‘smart farm’ is taking root at the doorstep of Gauteng’s only Big Five game reserve and could become a blueprint for other socially and environmentally conscious farms in the future, writes Tanya Faber.

Houers, a leading supplier of corrugated cartons in South Africa, supports the agricultural market and local communities through innovation and training. Read on to learn more about their impactful initiatives.

Brian Berkman reports that a chain of upmarket hotels is talent-scouting in the agriculture sector, looking for school leavers with the potential to train for exciting positions in the hospitality industry and tourism.

Vivian Jakobs of Crispy Farming recently won the Western Cape Agri Prestige Awards Competition of 2023. Glenneis Kriel went to find out more about this inspiring farm manager.

Green Arch Innovations founder Luvo Gugwana is a social entrepreneur whose goal is to spread affordable aquaponic solutions across rural areas in South Africa through his franchise model, writes Jyothi Laldas.

Eksteenskuil Agricultural Co-operative has helped to empower a community and improve lives, demonstrating the true value of the co-operative concept. Filomaine Schwartz, office manager of the co-operative, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the entity’s role in raisin production in this part of the Northern Cape.

Zolani Tsheko, the second vice-chairperson of the National Wool Growers’ Association, is a wool producer in the communal area of Thornhill near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. Mike Burgess recently visited him to gain a better understanding of the production challenges faced by communal farmers, who Tsheko is obligated to lead in terms of his mandate.

Started in 2008 to help ensure food security for a charity, the Siyavuna programme has expanded to focus on farming, training and growing its value chains.

Since 2000, the government has invested more than R74 million in the Blocuso community in the Northern Cape. Dirk Claassen, financial manager of the Blocuso company, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how the community has managed these funds to establish and run a thriving wine grape and raisin farm.

Local communities need to be part of the process of better understanding climate change adaptation. Moreover, supporting small green economies could assist in job creation for the community. An environmental project in Eldorado Park is seeking to do just this.