The Women‘s Voices in Agriculture Competition, now in its third year, highlights the remarkable achievements and aspirations of women who are making a difference in agriculture and rural communities across South Africa. NWK was one of the sponsors of the competition and was present at the prestigious gala event at Villa Arcadia on the Hollard Campus in Parktown, Johannesburg.
Inspiring entries from across the country were received, and after a rigorous evaluation process, five finalists were invited to the gala event. During the event, the finalists had a final opportunity to share their views on a topic of their choice and explain its impact on their lives, agricultural careers, communities and the environment. The panel discussion tested their ability to present structured, well-reasoned opinions.
The five finalists in the Women’s Voices in Agriculture Competition were:
- Boniswa Kuhle Dlamini, fresh produce farmer and owner of a nursery
- Carla Myburgh, agricultural economist and credit liaison officer at Senwes
- Christel Basson, marketer and communications manager at OVK
- Grietha van Rensburg, farmer, mentor and agent for animal health
- Petru Fourie, operations manager, Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA)
“After reviewing the entries, it is a pity that only five finalists could be selected. The entrants’ topics emphasised the meaningful role women play in the broader agricultural sector. It was clear that the possibilities are endless. The entries highlighted the sector’s vast possibilities and emphasised the meaningful role women play in the agricultural sector.
Petru Fourie (AFMA).
“I feel that each of the women showed courage to enter and is therefore already a winner. By participating, she has contributed towards her own personal development. Congratulations to all of them,” said Magda du Toit, one of the directors of Future Agri Perspectives.
Magda urged women in the sector to continue championing diversity in agriculture, emphasising that every story shared, every barrier broken and every innovation fostered contributes to a brighter, more inclusive agricultural sector for all.
Awards
AND THE WINNER IS…
Carla Myburgh from Senwes was chosen as the winner. In a heartfelt acceptance speech, she inspired women across the sector to recognise their rightful place in agriculture and to believe in the difference they can make.
“I see this competition as an opportunity to raise awareness of the vital role women play in agriculture and that their leadership, resilience and innovation are not defined by gender,” said Carla about her reason for entering the competition.
The two runners-up were:
- Christel Basson (second place), who believes that women play a pivotal role in shaping the current structure of agriculture in South Africa.
- Petru Fourie (third place), who believes that women should be proud of the journeys that have shaped them and should share what they have learnt along the journey.
PIONEERS HONOURED
During the gala event, women who played pioneering roles in agriculture were also honoured. They are:
- Dr Fhumulani Ratshitanga, chief executive officer of Fruit SA
- Wiana Louw, general manager of the Southern African Grain Laboratory NPC (SAGL)
- Dr Renée Prins, founding director of CenGen Pty Ltd
- Rona Beukes, senior statistician: Crop Estimates and Agricultural Statistics in the Directorate: Statistics and Economic Analysis at the Department of Agriculture
- Annelise Crosby, legal specialist at the Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz)
Partners make it possible
Apart from Hollard and NWK, other partners are Syngenta Seed, Empire Fleet Solutions, FNB, Grain SA and Agbiz. “Without the support of our sponsors, a competition and an event such as this would not have been possible,” Magda said. Magda also thanked the programme’s supporting partners, CRA Media and Farmer’s Weekly.
Johan Bezuidenhout, group manager Corporate Marketing and Communication at NWK, attended the event on behalf of NWK. “It is an honour to be able to acknowledge all the dynamic women involved in the agriculture sector. We have to acknowledge all the finalists for their passion, energy and drive. We also salute this year’s winner.
“To NWK, this competition adds value to the broader agriculture community. Partnerships are important to NWK, and we hope that through this partnership with Future Agri Perspectives and this competition, we can work together to achieve a common goal – a more inclusive agricultural sector.”
MORE ABOUT THE ORGANISER
Future Agri Perspectives is an initiative of like-minded individuals who are teaming together to present credible and scalable platforms for individuals in the agricultural value chain. These platforms facilitate a process in which participants can present and voice insights and perspectives on relevant topics, stimulating debate and surfacing potential solutions, which might otherwise not have been tabled.
