After years of dedicated service to the agricultural sector, Christo van der Rheede, the CEO of Agri SA, is hanging up his plough, marking the end of an era characterised by unwavering commitment and transformative leadership.
Van der Rheede, a visionary leader renowned for his passion and dedication, leaves behind an indelible mark on the nation’s farming community. His departure, occurring today on his last day in office, signifies not just the retirement of a remarkable individual but the closing of a significant chapter in the history of Agri SA.
His legacy, built on tireless service and a lifelong commitment to farming and rural development, has been a cornerstone of Agri SA’s success.
In this exclusive interview with Food For Mzansi, Van der Rheede looks back on the challenges he overcame, the victories celebrated, and the transformative initiatives pioneered under his guidance. On Sunday, 1 October, Johann Kotzé assumes the role as Agri SA’s new chief executive.
Duncan Masiwa: Wow, eight years later! What have been your most significant milestones during your tenure?
Christo van der Rheede: Being appointed as the CEO at Agri SA was indeed a great achievement. The appointment followed a five-year stint as the deputy executive director [of the organisation].
During my tenure, I introduced a range of initiatives at Agri SA, such as the Actionshop concept, which aimed to empower aspiring agriculturalists with knowledge about various sub-sectors in the agricultural space. It has subsequently developed into a fully-fledged Agricultural Ekspo managed by Agri Gauteng.
I’ve also helped to establish Agri Enterprises, which conducts feasibility studies on the establishment of new farmers in the commercial space. Today, it is a fully functional company working closely with the Motsepe Foundation to finance new commercial agricultural projects on communal land, train aspiring farmers, and provide support to such farmers.
There’s also the Meer as grond television series on VIA, a DStv channel, where the focus is on exposing people to the broader agricultural value chain; the establishment of the Agri SA Disaster Relief Foundation and initiation of the Surplus Food Campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic. This brought great relief to many households throughout South Africa.
I was responsible for the Drought Relief Campaign in 2015 and assisted with various other disaster relief campaigns via the Agri SA Disaster Relief Foundation. I also served on the AgriSecuritas Trust, where the focus is on enhancing the safety of rural communities.
Another milestone was being appointed to serve on the boards of AgriSETA and Kgodiso Trust, where the focus is on training, empowerment, funding of small-scale farmers, learnerships, and bursaries. I also served on the Sasol Trust, which provides funding for learnerships, bursaries, and a range of other initiatives aimed at in-depth agricultural research.
Among other things, I drove Agri SA’s media campaign to influence the shaping of policy and represented the organisation on various occasions in parliament where submissions were made. I served on the Agri-Phakisa task team, Agricultural Agro-processing Master Plan task team, and the DALRRD CEO forum, where the aim is to establish an inclusive and growing agricultural food production system.
My involvement in all of the above has had one goal in mind: to ensure that all South Africans have access to affordable, accessible, and quality food on a daily basis.
What challenges did you face stepping into this leadership role?
There is no such thing as an insurmountable challenge. Challenges will always be there, but I overcome all challenges with a clear vision in mind. As long as there is a shared vision among all stakeholders, differences are resolved over time. The biggest mistake one can make is to adopt a victim mentality. I have never considered myself inferior to others.
I come from a household where we were taught that all people deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. These are the foundations upon which I have built my career. Yes, I have encountered people along the way who were malicious, spreading all kinds of fake news and attempting to undermine me.
However, as long as you know that whatever you do is in the best interest of the organisation you serve and the country at large, you can shrug it off and focus on what needs to be done.
I am a staunch believer in our national Constitution. Building a non-racial, non-sexist, and more egalitarian society remains the cornerstone of my existence. I don’t see colour and refuse to be trapped in an “us versus them” or a “white versus black and brown” mindset.
For me, all people are equal and should be provided with equal opportunities. Moreover, it is about the dream of a free and prosperous South Africa that became a reality in 1994 under the leadership of the late presidents Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk. They laid the foundation for peace, progress, and prosperity for all. We must never forget where we come from and what we have achieved in terms of nation-building so far.
How has the agricultural sector in South Africa evolved during your time as a leader?
The tremendous recovery of the agricultural sector after the drought in 2015-2016 will remain with me forever. From 7 million tonnes of maize during the drought to 15 million tonnes the following year when good rains fell, it just shows the resilience of the sector, the quality of farmers that we have, and their ability to respond to opportunities.
I maintain that it is not land that produces food, but expertise. South Africa boasts the best expertise in this regard, and we need to nurture and leverage it. Meaning we need to protect it, ensure a conducive environment for them to operate in, to do what they do best which is to produce food and to use them as mentors, as experts to build a new generation of farmers.
We must move away from categorising farmers as white, black, or coloured. What we need to understand is that the challenges today and tomorrow will remain and will become even worse. That is why we need to break down racial barriers at grassroots level and bring farmers together in order to be each other’s guardians.
Due to their expertise and drive, I’ve seen tremendous growth over time in various sectors, such as the citrus, deciduous fruit, livestock, wool, nuts, wine, cotton, and subtropical fruit industries.
I’ve fought hard on their behalf to help solve issues at our harbours, lifting the ban on wool, addressing biosecurity challenges, highlighting the need for policy certainty, and the importance of solving policy ambiguity.
What inspired you to become involved in agri-development, and what motivated you to stay committed for so long?
I was headhunted for this position due to my work in the small business public policy space. Over time, I became intrigued by the factors that drive people to live an almost isolated existence on a farm: their resilience, their willpower to want to eke out a living fraught with economic, social, environmental, and many other risks.
Farming remains a high-risk business, and I guess I am intrigued by the innovative ideas that farmers come up with to mitigate all of these risks.
More so, their ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment, to embrace best practices, to invest continuously, and work prudently with money enable them to survive political, economic, and criminal onslaughts and to build inter-generational wealth.
At the same time, it was important for me to understand the labour environment and to ensure a better dispensation for farmworkers. Agri SA therefore supported the introduction of the national minimum wage. We are also supportive of compliance with all labour legislation and worked very hard during Agri Phakisa to conceptualise the smart village concept.
Sadly, though, this project, although embraced by the cabinet, did not materialise. Individual farmers, however, played a key role in this regard and delivered successful models of ownership and entrepreneurship over time which benefit farm workers tremendously.
Advice to future leaders in agricultural organisations?
Prioritise South Africa, the agricultural sector, farmers, and farmworkers above all else. Do not advance your personal interests at the expense of the mandate you are responsible for.
Remain dedicated to the task at hand, be prepared to work hard, but balance your family life with your professional commitments. Recognise that this is a stressful environment, take care of your health, and stay focused on the tasks at hand.
Looking back at your leadership, what legacy or mark would you like to leave on SA agriculture?
I aspire to leave a legacy of an agricultural industry that places South Africa and all its people at the forefront, fostering constructive engagement with the government to ensure our nation’s food security and the employment of a significant portion of our population.
Unemployment stands as the primary driver of poverty. Therefore, a vibrant, sustainable, and profitable agricultural sector is crucial for rural areas.
However, there are cost drivers that demand careful monitoring, such as rising input costs, the impact of load shedding, and increasing interest rates. If not contained and managed effectively, these factors could force numerous farmers out of business, individuals whose passionate expertise we can ill afford to lose.
I express my gratitude to all those I have interacted with over the years: the Agri SA staff, our board members, our affiliates, cabinet ministers, minister Thoko Didiza and director-general of agriculture, and all government officials.
My appreciation extends to the presidency, state-owned enterprises, the corporate sector, other organised agricultural structures, the media, all other players throughout the agricultural value chain, and the general public for your unwavering support and dedication to the agricultural sector.
To all farmers and farmworkers, I hold the utmost admiration and respect for you. I salute your resilience and your tireless efforts, working day and night under challenging circumstances to produce food for our country. Farming is a noble profession; let us preserve it as such.
- In a release issued today, Agri SA says Van der Rheede will continue in his role until the organisation’s upcoming annual congress on 12 and 13 October. Under his stewardship, Agri SA underwent significant transformations, evolving from a voluntary organisation to a non-profit company in 2022. His proactive approach also led to breakthroughs in international trade, opening avenues like the Chinese wool market and addressing crucial issues within the agricultural value chain. Agri SA expressed deep gratitude for his contributions, acknowledging his instrumental role in enhancing the sector’s public perception and reinforcing its importance in national food security. As Van der Rheede steps into retirement, Agri SA welcomed Johann Kotzé as its new CEO. With a commitment to maintaining the organisation’s momentum, he has assumed his role, ensuring a seamless transition in leadership. Agri SA expressed confidence in Kotze’s ability to build upon the organisation’s achievements and further its mission of supporting farmers and advancing the agricultural sector.
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