Business

Establishing a rooibos farm is difficult and expensive, says Kelly Petersen, co-owner of CUCU Rooibos and an exhibitor at the 2026 Organic & Natural Products Expo Africa. She spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about building the Wakkerloop farm she owns with her husband, Justin.

From high-performance lubricants and commercial bulk fuels to liquefied petroleum gas, solar energy, and fleet management, TotalEnergies is powering farm productivity across South Africa.

A forward-thinking German impact organisation is harnessing the power of technology to finance its conservation ambitions in Africa, while delivering measurable returns for investors and local communities.

What started as an after-hours kitchen project in the Truter household has grown into the fully fledged meat empire Deli-Co. Brothers Pieter and Hendri Truter told Glenneis Kriel how they turned a local favourite into a multigenerational family business.

Agrico’s reliable centre pivots and after-sales support help farmers across Africa efficiently irrigate, fertilise, and protect their crops, even in the most remote locations and under the harshest conditions.

Clemence Manyukwe takes a look at the successful operations of three ‘undercover’ farmers in Zimbabwe, including flower grower Roelof Nugteren, hydroponics farmer Keith Chipudhla, and aquaponics farmer Joe Mugwagwa.

Climate volatility is reshaping risk on South African farms. Reviewing your insurance and insured values regularly to ensure they reflect the cost of recovery is essential to maintaining balance sheet resilience.

Driven by technology’s potential to empower producers, 27-year-old Tafadzwa Chikwereti co-founded eAgro, a Zimbabwe-based agritech company combining satellite monitoring, soil science, and artificial intelligence tools to provide local farmers with real-time insights that help them boost yields and farm more sustainably.

Brian Berkman visits one of Durbanville’s oldest farms and is charmed by its transformation and award-winning wines.

Kenyan farmer David Waweru left his pilot career to produce coffee on the family farm. He spoke to Farmer’s Weekly about export markets, farm challenges, and giving back to his community.

Mushroom production is inherently the practice of expanding mycelium. But since wanted and unwanted fungi flourish under the same circumstances, a mushroom farmer’s biggest challenge is ensuring the right fungi prevails. Lindi Botha reports on Rory Brooks’ learning curve.

Social media has opened myriad avenues for reaching consumers through targeted advertising campaigns. However, the algorithms are notoriously tricky, especially when trying to maximise exposure to specific audiences on a set budget.

Regenerative agriculture is often framed as a choice farmers can weigh at their leisure. However, adopting these practices is becoming unavoidable, as sustainability has moved from aspiration to operational baseline, says Zhann Meyer, head of agricultural finance at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking.

Karen Swanepoel, executive director of the Southern African Essential Oil Producers’ Association, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about South Africa’s essential oils industry and its rise from a small niche market to a quality-driven, globally recognised, and fast-growing business.

Roland Urwin, café owner and coffee researcher, spoke to Octavia Avesca Spandiel about how South Africa’s evolving specialty coffee culture mirrors global trends, prioritising craftsmanship, origin, and quality-driven consumer experiences.

Octavia Avesca Spandiel spoke to Adele Cutten, founder of Adele’s Mohair, to explore how a small spinning experiment grew into a thriving rural craft enterprise rooted in South Africa’s rich mohair heritage.

Petri Swart never planned on pursuing a job in agriculture. Yet, his hands-on approach, technical focus, and willingness to challenge conventional raisin production systems has earned him recognition as SA Raisins’ 2025 Young Farmer of the Year.

Village business units registered as commercial agricultural ventures are transforming Zimbabwe’s rural landscape, long associated with subsistence farming.

A platform, PropelMapper, is transforming how agricultural consultants, sales agents and researchers capture and use field data, producing insights that can be shared across teams. Tech entrepreneur Reghardt Pretorius, co-founder of PropelMapper, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the solution.

Bezalel Wine and Brandy Estate has evolved from a bulk grape supplier to a producer of small-batch, high-quality wines, brandies, and infusions. Martiens Bezuidenhout spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his family’s journey.