Glencore Ferroalloys collaborates with AgriSETA to broaden agricultural skills in local communities

The primary objective of the programme is to create and promote opportunities for social, economic, and employment growth in agri-enterprises by providing access to relevant education, quality training, and development in both the primary and secondary agricultural sectors.

Through this collaboration, Glencore aims to equip the youth with skills that can be deployed in the agricultural sector, ultimately benefiting their communities in the long term.

Statistics South Africa reports that approximately 11% of South Africans are hungry or food insecure, making agriculture a critical industry for promoting economic growth and improving food security in communities with high unemployment and poverty. Ferroalloys Enterprise Development Superintendent Charlin Ntuli encouraged the graduates to put their newly acquired skills to use and seek opportunities to help eliminate food insecurity.

Ntuli highlighted that with innovation, farmers can use methods such as hydroponics farming to supply local communities and markets. She advised the graduates to identify and create opportunities that will help them build and grow their businesses, and Glencore may be able to assist them through their Enterprise Development Hubs.

Khuduthamaga Consulting (Pty) Ltd, a service provider that offers skills and learning programmes collaborated with Glencore to facilitate the training programme. Khuduthamaga Consulting (Pty) Ltd offers various agricultural courses such as:

• Plant Production
• Landscaping
• Animal Production
• Poultry Production, and
• Mixed Farming Systems.

During the ceremony, Fani Manganye from Khuduthamaga Consulting (Pty) Ltd praised the successful candidates for their perseverance, emphasizing that agriculture is one of the most sustainable sectors with a constant need for food, clothing, and many other products produced in the agricultural industry. Manganye encouraged the graduates to utilize the skills they acquired to better themselves and their communities.

The trainees were each awarded a Certificate of Competence in Farming Production and Systems to help them realize their full potential and expand their opportunities in the agricultural sector. The ceremony featured Tshilidzi Mavhula, an agricultural entrepreneur from the Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development, who encouraged young people, particularly women, to take up agriculture as their career choice. Mavhula reassured them that they can start small and collaborate with other small farmers to achieve their goals and ambitions in farming.

Through its partnership with AgriSETA, Glencore has trained 38 community members from Rustenburg and Bethanie in the North West Province and 20 community members from Steelpoort in the Limpopo Province. The company's commitment to equipping the youth with agriculture skills has the potential to improve food security, reduce unemployment and poverty, and promote economic growth in South Africa.