September 2016 DAFF Official newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Top Female Entrepre- neurs in farming honoured Limpopo Premier Stanley Mathabatha, Mr Mike Mlengana, Director-General of DAFF, Ms Venecia Jance, Overall winner and winner of the category: Top Entrepreneur Export Markets, Mayor Councellor Maureen Magubane, Mooi Mpofana Municipality and Mr Themba Mthembu, MEC for Agriculture, KwaZulu-Natal Province. Departmental Celebrating the strides made by women in agriculture From left: Mr Seaparo Sekoati, Acting MEC for Limpopo Agriculture, Top Entrepreneur: Processing, Ms Maybel Motlhale and Dr Mr Mike Mlengana, Director-General of Poncho Mokaila, HOD North West Province. DAFF, winner of the category: Minister’s Special Award: Young and Disabled En- trepreneur, Ms Philisa Fadana, Ms Zizipho Nyaga from Old Mutual with Mr Stanley Mathabatha, Premier Limpopo Province on the right. From left are Ms Nyameka Makonya from Total SA, Mr Stanley Mathabatha, Premier of Limpopo Province, Mr Mike Mlengana, Director-General DAFF, Ms Vanecia Janse Overall winner 2016 and Ms Julia Shun- gube Overall winner in 2015 . DAFFnews is the newsletter of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry Editor Piwe Mbiko (012) 319 6936 [email protected] Subeditor Lerato Mofokeng (012) 319 7927 [email protected] and Fisheries. Private Bag X250, PRETORIA 0001. Reporters Samuel Kgatla (012) 319 7181 [email protected] It is published by the Directorate Communication Services, Private Innocent Mhlanga (012) 319 7827 [email protected] Bag X144, PRETORIA 0001. Rony Moremi (012) 319 6622 [email protected] Jamela Nkanyane (012) 319 6903 [email protected] Mercia Smith (012) 319 6666 [email protected] Opinions expressed in DAFFnews are not necessarily those of the Photographer Jarius Mmutle (012) 319 7366 [email protected] editorial team. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced or trans- Interns Kwanale Mhlanga (012) 319 6958 [email protected] Lebogang Molopo (012) 319 7819 [email protected] mitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording Distribution Sheila Flockton (012) 319 7141 [email protected] or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission Website: www.daff.gov.za from the editor. 2 September 2016 DAFFnews No. 9 Departmental Top Female Entrepreneurs in farming honoured By Jamela Nkanyane and Lebogang Molopo To celebrate the strides made by on the Oudrift No. 1. In women in agriculture and to honour 2012 the beneficiaries Women’s Month, the Department of decided to focus on their Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries farming unit, Oudrift (DAFF) announced the top female No. 2 and split from the farmers at a prestigious ceremony joint venture as they held in Polokwane, on the 25th of Au- accumulated a lot of fi- gust 2016. The DAFF Female Entre- nancial, technical and preneur Awards, which are in their management skills for 16th year, continue to pay tribute production of cultivars to the efforts and contribution by of apples and pears on women, young females and women their own farm. with disabilities for the roles they While orchards are play towards ensuring food secu- planted on 53ha, 47ha rity, poverty alleviation, job creation is for planting new varie- and economic growth in the sector. ties of apples and pear The annual awards are held in part- orchards from 2017 to nership with Total South Africa. 2020. The farm meets Venecia Janse from the Eastern the Global GAP and Cape was the overall winner out of health requirements Overall winner Ms Vanecia Janse was also eight categories. She was also award- to p4 awarded in the category of Top Entrepreneur: ed in the category of Top Entrepreneur: Export Markets. Export Markets. Janse’s farm produc- es deciduous fruit which she sells to international markets in the European Union, Asia and United States, and to local markets such as Checkers and Pick ‘n Pay. Upon receiving the prize money she said she would use it to purchase machinery and more fruit trees to improve production. She en- couraged the other nominees not to be deterred by not winning but to keep on moving in order to improve their busi- nesses. Ms Janse is a member of the Oudrift Trust No. 2 which lies on 304 ha of land situated 26 km west of Louterwater un- der the Koukamma Local Municipal- ity in the Eastern Cape Province. The farm was acquired in 2005 through the LRAD programme in which fund- ing was utilised to purchase the land From left are Ms Thandeka Mbasa, HOD of Gauteng Department of Ag- for farm workers (100% owned), how- riculture and Rural Development, Ms Nyameka Makonya from Total SA, ever, at the time they were in a joint Ms Lindelwa Mabuya, winner of Best Female Worker category with Ms venture with the commercial farmer Manketsi Tlhape, MEC: North West Province. Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 No. 9 DAFFnews September 2016 3 Departmental from p3 and therefore produces 521 tons of Granny Smith apples and Forelle pears, 60% of which are exported to the European Union, United States nd and Asian countries with some 2 From left are Mr Tshepo Maeko from Omnia, Ms Jacky Maisela, HOD rd and 3 grade fruit sold to local retail Limpopo Department of Agriculture, Ms Makhosazane Sambo, winner shops such as Checkers, Pick ‘n Pay, of Top Entrepreneur: Small Holder category and Mr Norman Shushu, Golden Harvest, National and Grano- Northern Cape MEC for Agriculture. passie juice factories and other mar- kets in the Joubertina, Port Elizabeth and Humansdorp areas. The apples and pears are tested and sorted by the Klopak pack house with which the trust has a contract. The farm employs 44 permanent (in- cluding trust beneficiaries) and 68 sea- sonal workers. Casual workers who stay in Louterwater are transported From left are Dr daily by the bus provided by the farm. Shadrack Moephulie, Over and above the jobs created in the CEO of the Agri- local and adjacent communities, the cultural Research enterprise also donates their harvest Council, Ms Caroline to local schools such as Louterwater De Villiers, winner of Primary School during school events Top Entrepreneur: like sport days. “I would like to thank Commercial and Mr DAFF and all the sponsors for appre- Piet van Zyl from ciating us and for all the amazing priz- Manstrat. es,” Janse said. Other awards were presented in the following categories: quality spat (baby abalone) a month temperature every day and does ad- Best Female Worker in the Sector and produces around 500 tons of aba- ministrative work including electronic is Lindelwa Mabuya from Western lone for the export market. Ms Mabuya data capturing. Cape. worked as a general worker until she Ms Mabuya started working for Aba- was promoted in 2000 to become a Best Subsistence Producer in the gold Ltd. in 1997, an abalone farming manager for spawning in the hatch- Sector is Nthabiseng Kgobokoe company situated in Zwelihle, outside ery. Ms Mabuya has been employed from North West. Hermanus in the Western Cape. The for 16 years and she is responsible for Ms Kgobokoe established Batswana company has the largest abalone spawning abalone and settlements, Farms and Trading in 2011, but only hatchery in South Africa. The hatchery checking broodstock feed and clean- registered the enterprise in 2013. The consistently produces one million top ing the broodstock—she takes the to p 5 Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 4 September 2016 DAFFnews No. 9 Departmental Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 Female Entrepreneur 2016 from p 4 enterprise is located in Burhamsdrif operative located at Skhwahlane Trust ity vegetables such as tomatoes, but- outside Mahikeng. Ms Kgobokoe start- which is about 35 km from Malelane, ternuts, green beans, baby marrows, ed by visiting stud breeders and vege- under the Nkomazi Municipality in the bitter melon, chillies, beetroots, onion, table producers and also by affiliating Ehlanzeni District in the Mpumalanga potatoes and green pepper. with various associations, visiting auc- Province. This project was established tions and buying sheep with the aim to in 1996 by a group of five unemployed Top Entrepreneur in the Sector: establish a stud line and conduct fur- young female farmers. The beneficiar- Processing is Mabel Motlhale from ther research on horticultural produc- ies of the project were granted 12 ha Northern Cape tion. As a young person, Ms Kgobokoe of land by the Matsamo Tribal Authority Ms Motlhale is one of the beneficiar- pursued a career in farming, thereby and therefore given a Right To Occupy ies on the Doringfontein Broiler Farm also ensuring that the youth, particu- certificate. However, the project start- which is located 5 km from Warren- larly young black women, play a part ed to operate in 2000 producing only ton and 72 km away from Kimberley. in agriculture—which has grown to be vegetables due to financial constraints. The farm was purchased through the one of the most competitive industries In 2001 the project received R60 000 LRAD programme in 2002 when the in the country. She produces vegeta- from the Department of Social Serv- former employees approached the bles such as Swiss chard (Fordhook), ices which they used to purchase fenc- Magareng Municipality to assist them lettuce, carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, ing materials, three pistol pump en- in procuring the farm. Subsequently broccoli, cauliflower, broad beans and gines and irrigation pipes. Due to theft, the Department of Rural Development butternuts. Ms Kgobokoe also farms the project lost part of its fencing but and Land Reform purchased the farm with 40 does (goats) and 50 ewes was fortunate to get R179 000 from the and the beneficiaries also obtained (sheep).