Many of the more than 400 learners who attended the third leg of the VKB Food For Mzansi Agri Career Day in Frankfort in the Free State walked long distances for the opportunity to gain more information on study and career possibilities available in the field of agriculture.
Others, including a matric class from Falesizwe Senior Secondary School, rushed from an early morning test to attend the fun-filled day hosted by Wilgerivier High School. Although the Free State part of the roadshow ends in Kroonstad on Thursday, further agricultural career days are already scheduled for the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo within the next three weeks.
18-year-old Alphios Sikhosana from Falesizwe says the VKB Food For Mzansi Agri Career Day was a great experience and loads of fun despite being highly informative. He dreams of one day working as a journalist, possibly even covering important agricultural matters. Sikhosana says, “You have opened our eyes and showed us that agriculture is indeed life.”
Food For Mzansi co-founder Ivor Price says up to 10 000 learners are registered to attend the roadshow. “We are showing learners the A to Z of opportunities in agriculture: from agronomy to journalism. Yes, you don’t just have to be a farmer to work in agriculture. There is room for scientists too, besides the more well-known agricultural careers such as veterinarians or winemakers.”
“My grandpa is a farmer and I want to farm too,” says Mhlanhla Tshabalala (14), a Wilgerivier learner who also attended the event. “Thank you VKB for this agricultural day. We learnt a lot. Thank you for this opportunity.”
The Frankfort career day was hosted by another Wilgerivier learner, Kylie de Klerk, who also interviewed a panel of agriculturists, including Rodney Ndou and Chris Pakathi from Bayer, Elfrieda Lotter from the University of the Free State, Tebogo Molelele and Catherine Khau from the Sernick Group’s Emering Farmers Programme and Tiaan Jacobs from QPRO. MSD Animal Health was represented by a veterinarian, Dr Princess Moswakato.
EASTERN CAPE
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
10h00 – 11h00 Cookhouse Secondary School, Cookhouse
12h00 – 14h00 Aeroville Secondary School, Somerset East
15h00 – 17h00 Somerset East Youth Center, Somerset East
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
09h00 – 10h00 Pearston Secondary School, Pearston
11h00 – 13h00 Spandau Secondary School, Graaff-Reinet
14h00 – 15h00 Umasizakhe Hall, Graaff-Reinet
16h00 – 18h00 Union High School Hall, Graaff-Reinet
Thursday, 25 July 2019
10h00 – 11h00 Jansenville Secondary School, Jansenville
12h30 – 14h00 Carel du Toit Secondary School, Steytlerville
15h30 – 17h30 Willowmore Secondary School, Willowmore
WESTERN CAPE
Monday, 29 July 2019, Bernadino Heights High School, Kraaifontein
Tuesday, 30 July 2019, Hoër Landbouskool Paarl, Paarl
Wednesday, 31 July 2019, Bastiaanse Secondary School, Beaufort West
LIMPOPO
Tuesday, 6 Augustus 2019, Merensky High School, Tzaneen
Wednesday, 7 August 2019, Settlers High School, Settlers
- For more information e-mail ivor@foodformzansi.co.za.
