The Gauteng MEC of agriculture, Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, said the future of farming is not only about working harder, but it is also about working smarter. She recently recognised the dedication and hard work of farmers in the province at an awards ceremony at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
Ramokgopa said farmers, both men and women, feed communities, strengthen the economy, and ensure food security.
“Technology frees women from repetitive labour and gives youth tools to turn ideas into enterprises. Today, we celebrate your achievements and commit to supporting your growth,” she said.
One of the winners, Pretoria-based farmer Dimpho Xaba, said, following years of working the land and sacrifices, he can boldly say he is an award-winning farmer.
Celebrating a success story
“We were nominated for the Gauteng best young commercial producer in the year 2024/25, which was the first award we got, and we were also declared as the Gauteng young farmer of the year, in the overall awards. So we got two awards for the night, that is what we walked away with.
“This award means a lot to me, and last year when we came in the second place, it was part of our plan that this year we needed to take the top position. It does serve as a motivation to continue to do more in the space we operate. It should also be encouraging to young farmers that this is possible, it can be done,” he said.
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Xaba said that for those watching from a distance, it might look like it is easy; however, arriving where he is with his co-workers took a lot of courage and sacrifices.
“The best thing for anyone wanting to get into farming is that they must love what they are doing, because if one does not love what they are doing, it becomes pointless. And for one to invest energy and resources, it has to come from the place of love and passion for working the land and making a difference in the community they farm in.
“It is also okay to allow yourself to fail, that will be the only way for you to learn and improve. Winners are not born but are made,” he said.
He encouraged farmers to actively participate in agricultural forums for information sharing and networking with fellow farmers who might turn out to be mentors.
“When you want something, you put effort and should not allow failure to discourage you. So for us to arrive where we are, we have failed quite a number of times and each and every failure motivated us to push more,” he said.
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