Grain SA celebrates developing farmers at Ukukhula Conference

Grain SA’s Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) hosted the inaugural Ukukhula Conference at Nampo Park recently, establishing a platform giving a voice to all grain farmers, from subsistence to smallholder and new-era commercial farmers. It was followed by the PGP Day of Celebration, an evening that honoured South Africa’s most inspiring developing farmers.

Opening the conference, PGP chairperson Jeremia Mathebula described the event as “the beginning of a movement where farmers lead the conversation, and all of us listen, engage, and act.”

Mathebula highlighted the tangible impact of the PGP programme, proving that growth is happening at every level. In just three years, PGP-supported production has expanded from 19 000 hectares and 42 000 tons to 24 000 hectares, with more than 18 000 farmers now benefitting from mentorship, input access, markets, and finance through Grain SA’s flagship farmer development programme.

“Transformation is not a slogan; it is a strategy. It means caring for the land, creating jobs, restoring rural economies, and ensuring that black farmers take their rightful place as stewards of South Africa’s future food supply,” he said.

Celebration of transformation and growth

Delivering the keynote address, the Free State MEC for agriculture, Elzabe Rockman, praised the creation of Ukukhula as a true celebration of resilience, transformation, and growth.

Rockman commended PGP’s reach as evidence of real, on-the-ground change. She reaffirmed the Free State’s leadership in national food security and outlined critical policy priorities:

Land reform and tenure security through the new Preservation & Development of Agricultural Land Act and Expropriation Act, with a stronger emphasis on women’s land ownership.
Post-settlement support, market access, and infrastructure development as prerequisites for making redistributed land productive.
Strategic partnerships between government, universities, the Land Bank, IDC, and agribusiness to enhance financing, training, and innovation.

The MEC closed by reminding delegates that agriculture “is not just about producing food, but about producing hope, dignity, and opportunity,” calling for collaboration between farmers, government, and the private sector to drive inclusive growth.

Delegates called for blended finance and guarantees to reduce collateral barriers quickly, predictable turnaround times, and loan structures matched to lease terms and planting windows.

“With climate volatility and disease pressure rising, the conference backed a dual track: get the basics right (sound husbandry, record-keeping, and asset protection) and scale index-based products to lower costs and admin for emerging farmers.

“Insurers underscored the need for tailored policies by crop, region and growth stage farmers called for upfront clarity on exclusions, faster assessments, and public–private support to make cover affordable,” Grain SA stated.

Across all sessions, one message cut through: mentorship plus markets move the dial. Farmers asked for targeted technical support tied to real offtake, so that inputs and finance convert into harvests, sales and repayments.

Throughout the day, participants echoed a common sentiment: Ukukhula must be a catalyst for change, not another talk shop. Farmers shared first-hand experiences of overcoming structural barriers, from access to finance and insurance to land use and market entry.

National winners

Farmers from across South Africa were recognised for their achievements in productivity, innovation, and resilience, with four national winners announced in partnership with key sponsors:

2025 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial Subsistence Farmer of the Year: Rameshego Sarah Mahladi (Mpumalanga)
2025 Grain SA/Land Bank Smallholder Farmer of the Year: Itumeleng Naphtaly Mongane (North West)
2025 Grain SA Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year: Madinda Jabulani Matshinini (Free State)
2025 Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New-Era Commercial Farmer of the Year: Botlhale Jacob Tshabalala (North West)