A bold new chapter has opened for Mzansi’s farming community with the launch of the South African Agricultural Awards (SAAA) – an initiative driven by young leaders and now backed by AgriSETA. Designed to honour excellence and accelerate transformation, the competition shines a spotlight on agriculture’s role in tackling unemployment, empowering women and youth, and building a sustainable, food-secure nation.
By creating a platform that links skills development with recognition, the SAAA will celebrate achievements across the agricultural sector while promoting youth and women’s empowerment, innovation, and sustainability. Through this partnership with SAAA, AgriSETA aims to ensure agriculture remains competitive, inclusive, and resilient in the face of changing challenges.
A movement led by young people
Lindiwe Xaba, chairperson of the SAAA, highlighted the crucial role of youth leadership in the initiative.
“The South African Agricultural Awards are managed by young people in this country. I hope we are going to transfer this award to our young people. This is an opportunity for them and for this community,” she said.
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AgriSETA CEO, Dr Innocent Sirovha, explained how the partnership began with a shared vision.
“When we first met them [the young leaders behind SAAA], they were different. Three months down the line, the young men who created the video award and the women who own the farm realised that we needed to establish the real awards – awards where we would verify, go to the farms, and visit every village where people are nominated across South Africa,” he said.
He confirmed AgriSETA’s five-year sponsorship, committing R1 million in the first year.
“Ours is to see young people enjoying agriculture. Ours is to see a church with a farm, a church with a garden, a household with a garden, and a rural school with agriculture as a goal. That is all we want,” he said.
Nurturing the future
Professor Melusi Sibanda, a senior lecturer at the University of Zululand, praised the AgriSETA and SAAA collaboration as “a true testament to the commitment and presence that reflects the collective vision you all share for advancing the South African agricultural sector.”
He described the event as “the sowing of a seed that will grow into a strong, sustainable, and food-secure nation.”
“Recognition goes beyond awards. It provides validation, encouragement, and sets a benchmark for others to follow,” he added.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for agriculture Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa advocated for greater youth participation in agriculture. “I’m pleading with each and every member to go out and preach the gospel of agriculture, because with agriculture, we can change the economy. We can create jobs.”
Gugu Botha, an SAAA representative, underscored that the awards are about more than recognition. “Each finalist and winner represents more than a title. They represent a household fed, a community inspired, a young person given purpose, a caregiver restoring dignity, and an entrepreneur carving out opportunities,” she said.
She credited AgriSETA as a driving force in equipping youth, women, and rural farmers with the skills to succeed. Botha cited a tracer study showing that “around 66% of beneficiaries found employment after completing AgriSETA programmes, with the majority moving into permanent jobs.”
“The South African Agricultural Awards are not only about recognition. They are about creating a movement of transformation, empowerment, and shared prosperity,” she concluded.
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