The Gauteng Department of Social Development, Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with Daracorp NPO, a charity organisation championing agribusiness development in Africa , recently launched an exceptional agribusiness focused entrepreneurship programme during the World Food Day Celebrations at Dr Fabian and Florence Ribeiro Treatment Centre on the 16th of October 2022.

The agribusiness focused entrepreneurship programme is targeting women and youth working as agriculture cooperatives. Through this programme the shortlisted youth and women owned cooperatives receive farming land, farm equipment, inputs from the Department and also undergo on the farm incubation programme managed by Daracorp NPO.
Speaking at the event, the MEC for Social Development, Agriculture and Rural Development in Gauteng, Ms Mbali Hlophe gave heads up on the speedy at which the Gauteng Region aims to accelerate poverty reduction, minimise social inequality and also to promote self-sustainability. The MEC pointed to the recently launched cooperatives focused agribusiness development programme as one of the core interventions the department aims to implement to stimulate urban farming and rural based agriculture in collaboration with non governmental institutions.
Currently the program has enrolled more than 60 women who are beneficiaries constituting cooperative groups.
“The founding idea originates from the consideration that developing economies of Africa need, first of all, to relay on a strong agriculture and food sector if we are to achieve a holistic food security”...... “Agriculture and food sector can thrive and be sustainable if it is inclusive of the women and youth in the ownership of resources and means of production” said the FAO representative .
As put forth by Oxfam representative Nancy Chimhamanda speaking during the event, she said “Smallholders in developing countries play a key and fundamental role in the food security equation, fight against poverty and malnutrition. It is believed that 80 %(475 million) of the world’s farms operate on a less than 2 hectares of land. Although these farms account for only 12% of the world’s farmland, they have been capable to provide an estimated 80% of the food produced in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa”.
Daracorp's Director Lennon Mavuwa reiterated that in order to see this reality in the South African Economy, small scale farm holding and entrepreneurship market needs to be integrated into the whole farm value chain and ecosystem. He further said that the small scale farm holding and entrepreneurship can only thrive if it possesses capacities and skills that position them to a level playing field with the main players in the whole value chain.
“This means the ability to access the right inputs from the right sources, at the right time, the ability to implement the application of inputs or conversion processes using cost effective and production efficient methods..... Moreover, it constitutes their ability to efficiently deliver their high quality farm produce and outputs to the right markets at the right time and at the competitive prices” said Mr Mavuwa.
The ability of small scale producers to reach this level of practise in the ecosystem will be determined by their access to the five factors of production namely the land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship. Beyond the access to these resources, the small scale holders remain vulnerable to failures caused by lack of skills and capacities that would help them integrate the four factors of production in their participation in the ecosystem.
It is out of this idea that Daracorp NPO was established and delivers agribusiness development with the understanding that it is not only about access to four factors of production that entrepreneurship in the farming industry will grow, it is also about access to the key skills and capacity to manage the dynamics of the faming business hence a farmer will be destined to thrive. This in turn will yield to an increase in the agricultural output creating a catalytic effect to sustainable economic development
Daracorp NPO is championing the programme on the ground with the full support of the department. Other sites are yet to be open and more beneficiaries enrolled under the same programme.

Stakeholders that are interested to know more about the programme may contact the Daracorp Director by sending an email to lennon@daracorp.org.za.