SMME focus: Banks' agripreneur programmes boost jobs from seed to shelf

From the prominent shelves of major retailers to the heart of South Africa’s food security, the rise of small-scale farmers and agri- small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) represents one of the country’s most urgent economic opportunities and systemic challenges. Where do these businesses originate, how do they take their first steps, and what support and skills propel them forward?

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The unyielding reality

Despite a slight improvement in South Africa’s official unemployment rate — which dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 31.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with 132,000 more people finding work and total employment reaching 17.1 million — the broader reality remains stark; eight million people are still jobless.

Read more: Cautious optimism: South Africa’s job market improves slightly but four in 10 still jobless

Notably, employment in agriculture declined by 11,000 jobs during this period.

Banking growth

Against this backdrop, Nedbank has invested R169-million over the past seven years in its Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programme, empowering more than 5,400 businesses, creating more than 1,000 jobs, and unlocking R80-million in new business opportunities through strategic funding, mentorship and public sector partnerships.

In agriculture, the bank’s support is especially impactful — the Green Agripreneur initiative, backed by R6.5-million in partnership with African Greeneurs, has helped 20 emerging farmers gain training, business support, and market access. This initiative adopts a comprehensive 360° approach, combining climate-smart agriculture with retail strategies.

Participating farmers are now supplying major retailers such as Pick n Pay while mastering skills such as:

• How to cultivate their own vegetables effectively.


• Understanding their target markets and developing skills to promote themselves.


• Selling their produce to established retail outlets, enabling them to earn an income while honing essential entrepreneurial and farming skills.

Meanwhile, Standard Bank’s Agribusiness Transformation Programme, which was launched in 2019, aims to empower small-scale and emerging black farmers in South Africa, primarily in the Free State and Northern Cape.

Through collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as the University of the Free State, the programme has trained 223 farmers across six cohorts, focusing on sustainable, climate-smart practices, improving access to funding, expanding market opportunities, and developing agri-processing ventures.

Brendan Jacobs, the head of agribusiness at Standard Bank, said that the programme’s success was attributed to its practical approach, ongoing mentorship support, and the creation of a collaborative learning community among farmers.

For some graduates of the Agribusiness Transformation Programme, like Paulina Siwawi, the impact is personal and profound. A former teacher who left the classroom to tackle food security in her community, Siwawi credited the intensive training and support from Standard Bank and the University of the Free State for the growth of her poultry business.

Her ambitions now stretch well beyond subsistence — she plans to grow her farm to the point where she has bred 10,000 chickens and has established herself as a commercial farmer with a sustainable and profitable enterprise.

https://youtu.be/DuGO6Kq2w7E

Funding drought 

Even as banks and new initiatives step up to support South Africa’s emerging farmers, access to funding remains the single biggest obstacle to growth in the sector.

“The challenge, mostly with the new startups… is funding, because when you start a business, you need capital. Without capital it’s a challenge due to (costs such as) the input needed, labour costs, and transportation,” said Kobang Maluleka, CEO of African Greeneurs.

Human faces of the harvest

After completing the 12-month Nedbank Green Agripreneur Programme in August last year, the emerging farmers — many of whom began with little agricultural experience, were immediately helped to establish their own businesses, using the programme’s infrastructure as a launchpad. This support enabled them to create jobs, generate income, and contribute to local economic growth in their communities.

Daily Maverick spoke to several of these new agripreneurs, who have built viable enterprises and earned income during the programme. Yet, despite their achievements, they echoed Maluleka’s concerns about the persistent challenge of securing funding to further scale their operations.

Bathabile Masemola and Mfundo Madondo of Green Leafy Growers achieved notable success on their green pepper harvest from January to March this year, generating R18,000 in income collectively and creating 10 jobs. They highlighted a common challenge faced by emerging farmers: “We have been struggling to get funding, but at least we managed to get on the ground,” Masemola said.

Tintswalo Malina Rikhotso's thriving produce in Makhuva village, Limpopo. (Photo: Lucas Ledwaba / Mukurukuru Media)

A small-scale farmer tends her garden in Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Naledi Sikhakhane)

The programme has also empowered Nothando Mlaudzi and Sibongile Moloi of MM Greenfields, who earned R68,000 collectively and created 13 jobs over three months (January to March), also through green pepper harvesting.

“We have created employment for 13 people, and in two months, we made sales up to R50,700 and we are supplying big giants like Pick n Pay and looking at getting more market and more clients,” Moloi said.

Madikwe Molekoa, the owner of Phutipoyane, generated an impressive income of R250,000 and created 18 jobs through harvesting different crops for more than five months (November to March).

Exit strategy

Building on these success stories, Maluleka highlighted the programme’s unique exit strategy, where, upon completing the programme, participants immediately take over and operate their own businesses using the programme’s infrastructure.

This approach focuses on developing entrepreneurs rather than employees, fostering a sustainable cycle of income generation, creating employment opportunities for those with entrepreneurial potential and alternative paths for those who prefer employment.

From training to thriving

The programme begins with a three-month “activate phase” combining classroom theory and field training, followed by a nine-month “accelerate phase” in which farmers apply their knowledge throughout a full growing season.

This structure ensures that participants gain the real-world experience necessary to run successful agricultural enterprises independently.

Beyond training, the Green Agripreneur Programme positions participants for long-term success by facilitating land acquisition and connecting them with funders, suppliers, coaches, and mentors.

Nedbank’s support spans the entire agribusiness value chain, ensuring that farmers meet rigorous standards in production, packaging, and market readiness.

Farming land acquisition

“We connect the agripreneurs with various landowners,” Maluleka said.

This includes traditional landowners, municipalities, commercial farmers, and government entities, as the programme itself does not own land. 

For instance, in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga, the team successfully facilitated access to 750 hectares of land through the Ndebele Kingdom, where they negotiated lease agreements, ensuring that farmers could use the land productively — transforming it into arable farmland and creating opportunities for sustainable farming.

One of their roles is to act as a bridge connecting farmers to their extensive ecosystem of partners. This includes linking them with funding sources, landowners, suppliers of farming inputs, infrastructure providers, and market channels.

Participation requirements 

The Green Agripreneur Programme is not open to everyone and is offered selectively based on specific geographic focus areas. The programme is only advertised when sponsorship is secured, allowing Nedbank to target particular regions where they want to make the most impact. For example, in one cycle, the programme focused exclusively on 10 participants from Gauteng.Once support is confirmed- often through Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) initiatives or Corporate Social Investment (CSI) partners- Nedbank collaborates with sponsors to identify the target area.The programme then engages directly with the local community, advertising opportunities within that region and selecting candidates accordingly.

The Standard Bank programme leverages media channels and departmental outreach to advertise opportunities and identify candidates. Farmers are systematically identified and referred by the Free State’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the University of the Free State, targeting eligible black commercial farmers and black-owned agribusinesses primarily in the Free State and Northern Cape. DM