Awards hail women in a man’s world
Recognition will spur more to get involved in male sector
WOMEN play a central role in the agriculture sector, said Daphne Neethling, Top Entrepreneur for Processing at the 20th annual Female Entrepreneur Awards (DAFF FEA) awards.
Neethling, who hails from the Western Cape, said recognising this contribution is key to boosting women’s success, and encouraging more women to get involved. “It’s fantastic that we have been acknowledged in this way. We still have a way to go in getting more women’s representation in the sector, as it is still largely male-dominated, so this is very encouraging for us,” Neethling said.
To celebrate the strides made by women in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors during August – Women’s Month – the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), in partnership with Total South Africa, hosted the 20th annual DAFF FEA at a gala dinner in Cape Town on Thursday.
This year’s theme, “Celebrating two decades of women’s victory in agriculture, forestry and fisheries”, also paid tribute to the contribution by young females and women with disabilities in the roles they play toward ensuring food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth in the sector.
Neethling, of Paardenkloof Estate, a mixed farming business operating on 1 430 hectares of land, has 88 000 vines and produces up to 180 tons of grapes for wine production.
In 2018 she produced 75 000 bottles of wine, and increased this to 170 000 bottles in 2019.
During her keynote address at the ceremony, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Thoko Didiza said: “Today, we are here to celebrate those who have worked very hard. Through their hard work and achievements, we encourage other women to also rise up to the challenge.”
Corporate affairs manager at Total South Africa Nne-Mpho Siaga said the awards were an important stepping stone toward the elimination of skewed participation in the industry. “It also brings us closer to answering the need for sustainable business practices,” Siaga said
Neethling scooped the Top Entrepreneur: Processing awards, and Marice Mercuur, 34, scooped the minister’s special awards for young female entrepreneur.
Mecuur, of Marice Rooibos skincare in Clanwilliam, produces natural handmade health and skincare products. She did so after realising the healing properties of rooibos tea when her 6-month-old daughter developed eczema. Mecuur said she would use the exposure that comes with winning the award to grow her business.
“I’m planning to use the prize money to buy more ingredients and take more orders,” she said.
The Best Female Worker award went to Katrina Nxangani from the Free State.
Best Subsistence Producer went to Tholakele Sibiya from KwaZulu-Natal; Top Entrepreneur: Smallholder went to Happiness Makgamatho from Limpopo; Top Entrepreneur: Commercial went to Mmathoko Mabula from Limpopo; Top Entrepreneur: Export Markets went to Berene Damons from the Western Cape. The award for best female entrepreneur with a disability in the sector went to Matebogo Mouwane from Gauteng.
The overall winner based on the highest scoring points went to Mmathoko Mabula from Limpopo.
I HAVE been following the latest developments in the agricultural field for a while; truth be told, the agricultural landscape is being transformed, notably by women for women.
It’s a revolution in the making, with women revealing the true character of a farmer.
The agricultural sector has proven to be an explorable adventure for the new generation of women and youth.
Without doubt, women are coming thick and fast to close the gender gap that has been a void for decades in the agricultural industry of South Africa.
Looking at the success story of Boitumelo Chanda, who participated in one of the programmes within the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform: Rural Enterprises and Industry Development Branch, it emerges that she established a vegetable project called Tlhago Organic Innovation Logistics, which is located at Makgobistad village about 60km outside Mafikeng.
The project produces quality fresh vegetables such as spinach, green peppers, cabbages, carrots, beetroot, onions and tomatoes. She supplies and delivers vegetables to schools for the school feeding scheme project.
Chanda’s knowledge and passion in organic vegetable production has drawn a lot of attention from other stakeholders, such as the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), which was motivated by her work to expand her business.
The Department of Social Development gave her a contract to supply fresh vegetables and fruits to their NGOs around the Ngaka Modiri Molema district monthly.
The DALRRD supported her with seeds, net shades, garden tools, water tanks, proper fencing and a delivery vehicle, and the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development supported her with water tanks and fencing.
August not only gave us an opportunity to commemorate the bravery of more than 20 000 women who marched on the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act (commonly known as the Pass Laws) of 1950, it also gave us a moment to reflect on how much we have achieved at the expense of the bravery shown by our liberators.
It’s pleasing to see women occupying the production sector in agriculture; such women have earned special recognition from various awards ceremonies.
Khulile Mahlalela has gone from being a farmworker to being a farm owner and scooping several awards, including Mpumalanga’s 2019 Female Farmer of the Year. She owns Legend Piggery in Middelburg.
These are some of the stories that inspire other women and youth.
Deputy Minister Mcebisi Skwatsha, heading the land reform portfolio, did not mince his words when he said his department was prioritising women, youth and people with disabilities as the next beneficiaries of land reform programmes.
The department plans to acquire 94050 hectares, of which 42750 hectares will be allocated to smallholder farmers made up of women, youth and people with disabilities for agricultural production.
It’s a work in progress by the DALRRD to facilitate transformation in the agricultural field with a visible dream to ensure meaningful participation of women, youth and those with disabilities.
With a hive of activities within the agricultural field championed by women and youth, it’s time to realise that vision outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his first State of the Nation Address of the 6th administration: that the sector is no longer just about food security, but a major contributor to economic growth.
It’s envisaged that the potential of the agricultural sector will be unlocked through the acceleration of land reform programmes in rural and urban areas.
Still celebrating women’s excellence, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries hosted the 20th annual Female Entrepreneur Awards on Thursday in Cape Town.
The awards continue to honour women entrepreneurs in the sector through this programme, which recognises the efforts and contribution of women, girls and women living with disabilities, for their contribution towards food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth in the sector.
Rammutla is a senior communications officer of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. He writes in his personal capacity.