Every year, the Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Farmer of the Year Competition provides a valuable picture of how developing grain farmers are progressing.
This year’s 16 finalists, representing nearly 2 390 hectares across six provinces, reflect the progress farmers are making as they build stronger farming businesses and move towards commercial grain production.
The recent adjudication process took judges to farms across Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State and North West. While every farm has its own story, the visits revealed a common theme: farmers are improving their production, expanding their operations and strengthening their businesses.
At the same time, the adjudication highlighted that continued access to finance, production support, markets and strong partnerships remain essential if more developing grain farmers are to build sustainable commercial farming enterprises.
Creating opportunities for developing grain farmers
According to Grain SA, this is why the competition matters. “It is not only about recognising excellence. It is about understanding where farmers are succeeding, where challenges remain, and how the agricultural sector can work together to create more opportunities for developing grain farmers.
“Today, the PGP Farmer Development Programme supports 6 783 developing grain farmers across South Africa through training, mentorship and production support. The Farmer of the Year Competition offers an annual snapshot of that broader work and the progress farmers are making at different stages of their commercialisation journey,” Grain SA said.
The competition recognises farmers in four categories:
- Subsistence: 1 ha to 3 ha
- Smallholder: 4 ha to 49 ha
- Potential commercial: 50 ha to 249 t
- New-era commercial: More than 250 t
These categories reflect the different stages of farmer development and show how farmers can grow from producing on a small scale to building commercially viable grain farming businesses.
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This year’s finalists also provide clear examples of that progress. Lubabalo Jordan from the Eastern Cape and Mnculwane Mfaniseni from KwaZulu-Natal have both progressed from the subsistence category to the smallholder category after expanding their farming operations.
Growth was also evident among other finalists. Masiu Farming increased its planted area from 30 hectares to 550 hectares, while Kopano Lentswetshipi expanded from 90 hectares in the 2022/23 season to 367 hectares in the 2025/26 season. These examples show what can be achieved when farmers receive consistent support and continue investing in their farming businesses.
A celebration of production milestones
Sibusiso Mabuza, CEO of PGP, said the Farmer of the Year Competition provides an opportunity to see farmer development in practice.
“Each year we meet farmers who are improving their production, strengthening the way they manage their businesses and looking for opportunities to grow. Seeing farmers move into new categories and significantly expand their production shows what is possible when they have access to the right support.
“At the same time, it reminds us that no farmer succeeds in isolation. Continued collaboration between farmers, government, financiers and industry partners is essential if we want to see more developing grain farmers become successful commercial producers,” Mabuza said.
The finalists will be recognised during the 2026 PGP Ukukhula Conference and Day of Celebration, taking place on 8 October 2026 at NAMPO Park, Bothaville.
The event will also celebrate members of the prestigious 250 Ton Club, recognising farmers who have reached significant production milestones and demonstrated measurable growth in their journey towards commercial grain production.
“We have seen what developing grain farmers can achieve when they have access to the right support. Our responsibility now is to ensure that more farmers have those same opportunities. Commercialisation is not the responsibility of one organisation; it requires a collective effort across the agricultural sector,” Mabuza said.
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