Photo: Lindi Botha
Research conducted by the Sustainability Initiative of South Africa and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture in 2020 showed that when it came to full-time employment, women took up 34% of general worker positions, 16% of farm management positions, 26% of supervisor roles and 69% of administrative positions.
When it comes to farm ownership, around 20% of farmers in South Africa are female. This figure showed only a 1% increase between 2007 and 2018.
The study showed that from 2007 to 2018, full-time and seasonal female employees increased by 3%.
Identifying barriers for women in agriculture, respondents in the study pointed to physical strength, perception, self-confidence, education and training, and motherhood and childcare.
Persevering amid negative perceptions of female farmers is a daily challenge for Sophy Musabeni Litshani, a vegetable farmer from Gauteng.
“Men don’t think that women can farm, and so they treat us like we don’t know what we are talking about. If I need to buy parts for my implements, I need to make sure I know exactly what I need, because salesmen couldn’t be bothered to help a woman. They give advice I know is wrong, just to get me out of the way. There is no respect and I continuously have to prove that I know what I am talking about.”
Litshani has also stopped employing men on the farm. “I’ve found that men find it difficult to take orders from a woman. Now I either do the work myself or train other women to do it.”
She however noted that female participation in the agriculture sector is increasing, which bodes well for eradicating negative stereotypes.
“I see more and more female farmers making a success of their businesses. Women have a particular skill for persevering and where there is a problem, we will fix it. Being undermined just motivates us to do better and prove to everyone that women can farm.”
The advent of technology means physical strength is no longer a requirement for farming. Liza Bohlmann, external communications lead for sub-Saharan Africa at Bayer Crop Science, said that commitment and resilience were today’s tools of the trade, rather than muscles.
“Farmers today need to be able to think on their feet and be innovative in solving problems. This requires a clear vision and an intellectually driven approach, while incorporating the best technology to achieve success.”
She noted that in the agricultural science arena, female participation was increasing.
“There is so much talent among women in this space. Females are making massive contributions to solving hunger, complementing what has already been done by men.”
Magda du Toit, one of the organisers of the Women’s Insight Deliberation Competition for women in agriculture, believed that opportunities for women in the agricultural sector are increasing.
“The role of women in agriculture has changed a great deal over the past 10 years. Agricultural companies today need people with skills in data interpretation, economics and marketing, and data scientists. It is here where we are seeing an influx of females. They then go on to take up leading positions in the broader value chain.”
To further enhance female participation in the agriculture sector, the Sustainability Initiative report noted that organisations should focus on easy-to-access training, raising awareness of opportunities for women at all levels, affordable childcare, conducting interviews to get a better understanding of women’s needs, and creating a safe channel through which to report discrimination.
