Photo: Sindira Chetty
During a panel discussion, Van Eeden elaborated on her passion for wheat breeding and finding solutions to addressing the challenges farmers face every season, while also ensuring that the varieties conform to the standards and needs of the milling and baking industries.
The two runners-up were, Heleen Viljoen, agricultural economist (second place) and Alani Janeke, communicator (third place).
The competition, now in its second year, continues to highlight the remarkable achievements and aspirations of women making a difference in agriculture and rural communities.
This year, it attracted some truly inspiring entries from across the country, each reflecting a story of resilience, leadership, and innovation in the sector.
According to Magda du Toit, director of Future Agri Perspectives, this initiative was launched to amplify the voices of women in agriculture and honour the vital contributions they made to the sector.
“After reviewing the entries, it’s unfortunate that only five finalists could be selected. All the women who participated, whether in a professional, leadership or technical role, are winners for their contributions to agriculture. The entries highlighted the sector’s vast possibilities and emphasised the meaningful role women play,” Du Toit said.
“I feel each of the woman showed courage to enter and is therefore already a winner. By participating, they have contributed towards their own personal development. Congratulations to all of them.”
The five finalists were:
- Alani Janeke, communicator
- Elaine van Eeden, breeder and researcher
- Heleen Viljoen, agricultural economist
- Prudence Thulisile Mokwena, farmer and founder of RBKM Chickens
- Sarah Malatjie, project administrator Urban Farmer
During the event, the finalists had one last opportunity to impress the judges by sharing more insights into the topics they chose and how these were affecting their lives, agricultural careers, communities, or the environment.
Van Eeden dedicated her victory to every woman working tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure the sector’s sustainability and progress, but especially to the team working with her on the research farm in the greenhouse.
She has been working in wheat breeding and research for the past 28 years. She lives and mainly works in the Bethlehem region of the Free State. According to her, wheat is a beautiful crop and being part of the value chain that puts quality bread on the table for many.
Honouring pioneering women
Women who played pioneering roles in agriculture were also honoured and recognised for their significant contributions to the sector throughout their careers.
“These awards serve to honour these women who paved the way so that others can follow in their footsteps. Their stories, marked by challenges overcome and dreams pursued, serve as a reminder that women’s voices are not just about recognition, but about inspiring the next wave of leaders in agriculture,” Du Toit explained.
The following women were honoured:
- Dr Marinda Visser, director of strategic projects and partnerships in agriculture at Innovation Africa, University of Pretoria
- Karen Nel, owner of Design Biologix
- Prof Driekie Fourie, technical product lead at Syngenta Seedcare
- Prof Sonja Venter, programme manager for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and head of the Agricultural Research Council’s Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants Institute. She is also an extraordinary professor in the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management at North-West University.
