Women are urged to actively participate in all sectors of agriculture to ease the path for future generations

Women are playing an increasingly significant role in South Africa's agricultural sector; however, their participation and development are limited by gaps in land ownership rights, access to resources, employment, and opportunities.

The Ministry of Agriculture has emphasized that women remain key figures in the country's food system, acting as farmers, cooperative leaders, processors, employers, trainers, and members of rural communities. Nevertheless, expanding this contribution requires improved access to land, financing, training, markets, research, and practical support.

For young women starting in agriculture, access to productive assets can have a substantial impact.

Nosifo Vuthela, a young farmer from the Eastern Cape and leader of the Gedlumhlanga Youth Co-op, spoke about the difficult start of the cooperative. She mentioned that in 2020, they began with a 1963 tractor acquired by her grandfather. Today, thanks to support from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and the Prime Minister's office, they have acquired two new tractors.

The cooperative also collaborates with Potatoes SA for seed support, which helps increase yields and reach larger markets. Infrastructure assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development further helped the group establish sorting and storage facilities.

Vuthela believes that while support programs are important, female farmers also need greater visibility and opportunities to participate in agricultural discussions. She stated that despite having all the support, success depends on hard work and teamwork, and she calls on the government to take seriously opening up opportunities for women farmers, including them in agricultural seminars and panels.

Furthermore, Vuthela called for strengthening measures to attract youth to agriculture as a profession, especially through schools and secondary institutions, as the sector still needs to expand its base of landowners.

Agricultural economist Vandile Sichlobo explained that while gender diversity in commercial farming still holds significant potential for improvement, the situation is not entirely negative. According to data cited, approximately 20% of the 40,122 VAT-registered farms are owned and managed by women.

He noted that owning and operating a commercial farm is better than some might expect. However, he believes the more crucial issue is how to expand this participation, particularly through land reform.

Sichlobo pointed to South Africa's Beneficiary Selection and Land Distribution Policy, which mandates the transfer of 50% of redistributed land to women. He stated that effective implementation of this policy will lead to a significant improvement in gender diversity in South African agriculture.

Commercial fruit farmer Debbie Tunissen asserts that new approaches to land access can help create pathways to ownership. She proposes rewarding high-performing agricultural workers with access to a portion of land and water, while the government and industry must help define the financial requirements for creating viable enterprises.

Tunissen also suggests postgraduate programs that identify high-performing agricultural students and guide them along structured paths involving leased land and water, with the ultimate goal of ownership. She advises assigning them to develop ideas for their own farming enterprise after a year of practice and sponsoring promising candidates with land leases and other ministerial initiatives.

In her view, opportunities should extend not only to primary production but also to the broader value chain in agriculture. She added that there are numerous opportunities in packaging plants, cold storage, and distribution that should be facilitated for applicants.

For existing women farmers, infrastructure and business support can also stimulate growth. A crop producer from the Eastern Cape, Xolelwa Konkose, reported that fencing, a borehole, solar water infrastructure, and a business plan supported by the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Sedfa) helped her secure additional production capacity.

Konkose emphasized that infrastructure support, including fencing, a borehole, solar water tanks, alongside a Sedfa-funded business plan, had the greatest impact on her farm. The business plan also helped her obtain a growing tunnel, a biogas digester, and a netting shelter. She concluded that investing in women is worthwhile because they are very resourceful, and even a small investment will surely pay off.

Local farmers in Mzansi are invited to the Agricultural Workers' Days, which are being organized jointly by Food For Mzansi and Overberg Suid-Kaap. These events aim to enhance the professional qualifications of workers in their field. Initially, the Workers' Days were planned for September 22 at Bredasdorp Park and for September 23 in Oudtshoorn.

On Monday, August 24, the Conference on the Future of South African Food will take place. This is the first event of its kind in the country that will bring together the entire spectrum of the agricultural and food economy—from the field to the boardroom, from the research laboratory to the supermarket shelf. Key industry leaders' presentations and panel discussions shaping national food policy and innovation will be featured at the conference. The event is scheduled for September 30 at The Centurion Hotel.

On Tuesday, August 25, Western Cape Farmer's Day will be held. Food For Mzansi is organizing the provincial Farmer's Day in the Western Cape. Farmer Sydney Classen will host participants at Pine Haven Farms in Stellenbosch on Friday, October 30. This day will be filled with practical knowledge, opportunities for networking within the industry, demonstrations, and chances to see the latest agricultural innovations.

Wednesday, August 26, is dedicated to the Soul to Soil 2026 event. In partnership with the Agricultural Development Agency (Agda), Food For Mzansi is creating a special space for women in agriculture to connect, reflect, and celebrate their achievements. The event will take place at Kleinkaap Boutique Hotel in Centurion under the theme 'Rooted in Purpose, Growing with Courage,' recognizing the beauty, strength, and complexity of a woman's position in agribusiness today. It is a place for everyone involved in farming, running an agritech startup, developing agro-processing business, or managing agro-operations behind the scenes.

Thursday, August 27, features a Short Course on Crop Production. Participants will gain practical experience and learn the fundamental principles of successful crop cultivation—from planning and planting to harvesting, management, and collection. Expert guidance, hands-on training, real agricultural experience, and farm-applicable skills will be provided. The course will run from September 2 to 4.

Friday, August 28, hosts a Cattle Auction. The tenth sale by Reabow Beefmasters will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026, starting at 12:00 PM at Kilmun Farm in Elliot, Eastern Cape. The auction will feature 25 Beefmaster bulls and 30 pregnant Simbra X Brangus cows.

Billions of rand are being mobilized in South Africa to combat climate change. However, a significant portion of these funds is directed towards projects demonstrating financial returns, while women who are daily adapting to climate change in rural areas remain virtually unnoticed by the system.

When water sources dry up, rivers disappear, crops fail, or floods destroy livelihoods, it is often women who react first. They independently find alternative water sources, change agricultural methods, provide themselves with food and fuel, care for families and communities, and find ways to sustain life long before official aid arrives.

These women do not wait to be prescribed climate change mitigation measures; they are already implementing them. The architecture of South Africa's climate finance insufficiently recognizes this work because it is dominated by private capital, debt, and equity, focusing on commercially viable, often large-scale projects.

In 2022 and 2023, the country attracted an average of 188.3 billion rand annually for climate action. Approximately half of this amount came from domestic private capital, followed by multilateral and bilateral development institutions at 31%, domestic government agencies at 10%, and foreign investment at 8%.

Meanwhile, South Africa faces an estimated climate finance gap of 499 billion rand per year. Thus, the problem is not just the volume of funds attracted, but where this money goes, who has access to it, and what types of climate actions the financial system deems valuable.

The answer to this question shows that about 74% of the country's climate finance investments—139.5 billion rand—is allocated to the energy sector, particularly for renewable electricity generation as part of climate change mitigation. Only 11.3% supports climate change adaptation.

Investing in renewable energy itself is not the problem, as South Africa needs it. However, a climate finance system strong in megawatts but weak in everyday community resilience risks solving only part of the problem.