The 2025 Agricultural Transformation Lekgotla, presented by Food For Mzansi in partnership with Land Bank, Kagiso Trust, and Joburg Market, took place yesterday in Pretoria and highlighted concrete strategies for addressing the persistent inequalities faced by black farmers in South Africa.
Mooketsa Ramasodi, the director-general of the department of agriculture, said that the agricultural sector has doubled in size since 1994. He cautioned that this growth could be jeopardised without deliberate action to address historical disparities.
“You have got a sector that has doubled over time. And what has led to the doubling of this sector is mainly through productivity gains that we have in the sector, exports in terms of markets, and then lastly diversification when it comes to livestock production,” Ramasodi said.
Agricultural policy in South Africa
Ramasodi reviewed the evolution of agricultural policy, from the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to more recent strategies. He criticised the RDP for its lack of consultation.
“Now, the shame of the RDP at the centre of it was that it was not inclusive. It was not consultative enough for everybody to be part and parcel of it.”
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He praised later initiatives, such as the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (Casp), Operation Phakisa, and the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP) for aiming to close these gaps, despite ongoing challenges.
Ramasodi stressed that land reform is inextricably linked to agricultural transformation. He acknowledged past land reform approaches, such as the Settlement/Land Acquisition Grant (Slag) and the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (Plas), but noted that progress is still hindered by land tenure and the absence of title deeds.
“You cannot separate agriculture from land reform,” he said.
He cited the slow growth in black farmer output, using cotton as an example. “We have moved from 10.9% to 13% since, but is it enough? It is not enough. If 13% is not enough to pass matric, then it is not enough for transformation.
“These are the areas that we have to focus on. The vexing questions in agriculture. In business, these are called stubborn problems. They don’t go away. We have to make sure that they dissipate. The first one is around land reform. How do we deal with this complex issue? How do we ensure that the pace is increased? How do we move forward?” he asked.
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How to address inequality in SA agriculture
Speaking to the theme “In addition to land, investing in human capital to drive agricultural transformation,” Dr Mankodi Moitse, CEO of Kagiso Trust, emphasised that sustainable change goes beyond land. It requires building ethical farmers and agripreneurs.
“What we are saying in the ecosystem is that we will know one another. We will talk about one another. We will refer to others about what we do. We will even give them the right to name-drop us, so that they can get in front of the queue. That’s what a strong ecosystem does,” she said.
Kagiso Trust, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, focuses on socioeconomic development, with education and agriculture as its priorities.
“One of the biggest programmes is capacity building. In capacity building, we do local governance. We work with municipalities because we believe that unless a municipality functions, services that are critical to farmers and entrepreneurs are not going to be provided,” she said.
For Moitse, agricultural reform must be infused with empathy. She highlighted that Kagiso Trust’s strategy has been shaped by listening to farmers. The organisation’s approach now includes climate-smart agriculture, urban agriculture, and a tiered farmer development model, with a focus on partnerships with institutions like Land Bank.
Financial solutions for black farmers
Themba Rikhotso, CEO of Land Bank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to transformation, balancing development goals with financial stability. He explained that the bank not only offers financial solutions but also identifies ways to ensure equity. He stressed that transformation is not just about making money available.
“We create that financial sustainability. Beyond just making financing available for the sector and solving for many other projects that are there, and beyond making transformation one of the critical focus areas for us, we also have a small and medium enterprises (SME) strategy in the bank.
“To ensure that we bring SMEs into the mainstream agriculture and ensure that we actually take them through the journey and that they are able to become successful commercial farmers,” Rikhotso said.
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