In an effort to bolster the agriculture sector’s transformation efforts, the Motsepe Foundation and Agri SA, through its subsidiary Agri Enterprises, launched two pioneering agricultural development projects earlier this year, one in Mpumalanga and the other in Limpopo.
As part of their objectives, these projects are aimed at rethinking development funding in order to accelerate inclusion in the sector.
Over the years, a number of promising agricultural projects around the country have been unable to secure adequate funding due to their lack of land tenure or ownership.
“Most of the land in the former homelands and communal property associations is owned by the state, and this cannot be collateralised,” says Omri van Zyl, CEO of Agri Enterprises.
In addition, many communities don’t have the necessary skills to develop commercial farming enterprises.
“The inability of these farmers to write proper business plans further exacerbates the problem. Banks and other financiers are reluctant to get involved in projects if the business plans are inadequate,” he adds.
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Agri Enterprises and the
