The Eksteenskuil Computer Centre, funded through a R2 million investment by the Kgodiso Development Fund (KDF), was officially opened on 6 August.
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi, who delivered the keynote address at the launch, said technology was becoming part of everyday agricultural business.
“For the farming community, technology is increasingly becoming an important tool for improving productivity and building resilient agricultural businesses.
“Digital platforms now provide access to weather information, market prices, financial services, training resources, and new farming techniques. They enable farmers to connect with buyers, suppliers, and government support programmes more efficiently than ever before,” he said.
Malatsi added that the new facility would also help address the skills gap facing rural communities.
“By strengthening digital literacy within this community, we are also strengthening the future sustainability and competitiveness of our agriculture sector,” he said.
The centre is intended to help farmers access online information and services that can save time and improve their ability to manage their operations, while also giving younger members of farming families skills that are becoming increasingly important in agriculture.
Local farmer Ryno Schwartz said access to technology had become essential to modern farming.
“Farming today is no longer only about working the land. We need technology to access information, complete applications, communicate with organisations, do training, and find new opportunities.
“For many of our farmers, access to computers and the Internet has been a challenge. This centre brings that opportunity directly to us,” he explained.
A wider agricultural investment
The centre builds on KDF’s broader investment in South Africa’s raisin industry, particularly in the Northern Cape, which produces around 90% of the country’s raisins.
In 2022, the fund committed R28 million to accelerating transformation and sustainable growth in the industry. This included a R12 million investment in the Vine Academy and Model Farm in Kakamas, established with Raisins South Africa to provide practical and classroom-based training for emerging farmers and farmworkers.
The academy also serves as a research, innovation, and demonstration hub, with training covering areas such as agronomy, irrigation, fertiliser and plant protection.
A further R16 million was provided in loan funding to three black raisin farmers, together with technical expertise, financial management support, and mentorship aimed at improving vineyard productivity and helping the producers reach commercial agricultural standards.
KDF board of trustees member Christo van der Rheede said the investments were part of a wider strategy to empower the community with digital skills.
“Successful agriculture depends on far more than fertile soil and favourable weather. It depends on skilled people. It depends on knowledge. It depends on innovation. And increasingly, it depends on digital capability.
“Modern farming is no longer confined to the vineyard. Farmers use technology to access markets, manage finances, comply with export standards, analyse production data, access weather information, and communicate with buyers across the world,” he explained.
Investing in people
The computer centre forms part of KDF’s education initiative, which extends beyond agricultural finance to skills development and digital literacy.
KDF board of trustees member Nico Moloto said the centre represented the next stage of that investment.
“The computer centre represents the next chapter in KDF’s education journey. It will provide learners, farmers, entrepreneurs, and community members with the digital skills needed to participate confidently in a modern, technology-driven economy,” he said.
For Filomaine Schwartz, coordinator at the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Cooperative (EAC), the centre represents access to opportunities that many residents previously struggled to reach.
“Our farmers are expected to operate in a modern agricultural world where applications, registrations, training, communication, and access to information are increasingly digital. Yet many of them have never had the opportunity to develop these skills.
“My dream is that this building will become a place where a farmer gains confidence, a young person discovers a new skill, a child touches a computer for the first time, and an entire community discovers new possibilities,” she said.
Petrus Coetzee, vice-chairperson of the EAC, said farmers and young people must make the most of the facility.
“To our farmers, our young people, and our community: this centre belongs to you. Use it, learn from it, grow through it, and create opportunities from it,” he said.
