The 2023 Mzansi Young Farmers Indaba hosted by Food For Mzansi provided many moments of inspiration, reflection and aha moments.
Those that attended, agree that the indaba hosted at the iconic FNB Stadium in Soweto never strayed from its inspirational purpose with stirring words from top-tier speakers and panellists.
These are just a handful of my favourites:
Thoko Didiza
“Without markets, water, electricity, finance and land we know that it is impossible to farm in the country, those are important elements of operating a farming business… We want to hold your hand; we want to meet you halfway and assist you financially but that does not mean you as a farmer should not do the right things.”
Thoko Didiza is the minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development.
Themba Rikhotso
“We are not here to give excuses to the farmers, blended finance is very important so from our side we will do more to ensure that farmers get the best service from us.
“We have received a lot of complaints regarding the application form from our clients who are farmers, and we have gone back to look at how we can make it easier for them. So, we are taking some corrective measures.”
Themba Rikhotso is the CEO of Land Bank.
Leona Archary
“Partnership and collaboration are key. If we trust one another, we can build one consolidated agricultural plan that allows growth for the entire sector.
“Partnership and collaboration is key because if we want to build a prosperous sector, we have to be inclusive and we have to be willing to do it together. We cannot do it together if each party does not trust the other. So if we begin to trust, that will enable us to develop and drive our country.”
Leona Archary is the CEO of the Agricultural Development Agency.
Jaco Beyers
“We (John Deere) want to paint a picture and share a vision of where we think agriculture can be.
“When using new tech, you need to make sure that it is as efficient as possible. So farmers need to now move from basic equipment…but equipment that helps them supply better produce from their farms.”
Jaco Beyers is the managing director for John Deere in Africa and the Middle East.
Wendy Peterson
“A farmer should never work alone. Surround yourself with experts, good mentors, and people with knowledge. They will advise on how to run your business successfully”.
Wendy Peterson is the operations manager of the South African Wine Industry Transformation Unit (WITU)
Mankodi Moitse
“One of the biggest aspects we have seen in the farming industry is that you need to have a mentor, that helps a lot for a new farmer to have a mentor because it is at that level that you need to know the pros and cons.”
Mankodi Moitse is the CEO of Kagiso Trust.
Nazeem Hendricks
“One of the many problems in this country is that institutions or organisations that give people out land, do not give people collateral. Which makes it difficult for a farmer to really break the ceiling or even get that much-needed kickstart.’
Nazeem Hendricks leads the project management unit at the Jobs Fund.
Ronica Maluleke
“What I was supposed to achieve in three years, I managed to achieve it in three months. Dedication and hard work were the order of the day for me to achieve such.”
Ronica Maluleke is the founder of Agriazo Poultry
Tamsin Mzozoyana
“No space must be too small for a farmer to create and produce food that is safe for people to consume.”
Tamsin Mzozoyana is the founder and Krystal Consulting.
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