The MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Nakedi Kekana, acknowledged the role of the youth in the agricultural sector during the recent Youth and Women Entrepreneur Awards, held in Polokwane on 13 September.

According to Kekana, there is a perception that agriculture is for the elderly, while the youth prefer white-collar jobs. “There is a lot of money in agriculture, and we are trying to attract our youth to this field. This is a succession plan because as the older generation passes on, we might be left without food producers,” she said.

“Agriculture is another way to combat poverty in our communities and plays an important role in economic development,” she said, adding that one aim of the competition was to encourage young people to get involved in agriculture.

Kekana also encouraged women to take part in agricultural activities. She said South African women would never be truly free if they continued to underestimate themselves, not believing they could be entrepreneurs. She advised women to seek out as much information as possible to equip themselves with business skills. “There are no longer specific jobs for specific genders because the world is changing daily. This is no longer the time for talk—it’s time to put business skills into practice,” she said.

During the function, the award for the best primary agricultural school was presented. This year, the winner was St Martin De Porres School in Musina, which received R30,000 and a trophy.

The school's principal, Mr Vincent Milanzi, was thrilled upon learning that they had won the competition. “We are very motivated and empowered, and this award will inspire us to work even harder and participate in the country's economy,” he said.