By Marieke Snyman

Agriculture remains the backbone of many African economies, but as Keneilwe Mabona from Standard Bank highlighted at the African Farming Agri-Development Imbizo 2025, the sector faces a critical crossroads. She emphasised the need to balance tradition and innovation, ensuring that farmers – especially new-generation farmers – have access to finance, markets and resources to thrive.

A balancing act: Tradition and progress

Mabona’s message was clear: Agriculture must modernise without losing sight of its roots. The challenge lies in navigating the complex landscape between long-standing farming traditions and the necessity of technological and financial advancements.

“We must strike a balance between tradition and progress, urgent needs and long-term viability, regional concerns and international demands,” she noted. The solution lies in ensuring sustainability while embracing efficiency – two factors that are increasingly shaping the future of farming.

Efficiency, scale and capital

Agriculture is no longer just about producing food; it is about producing it at scale and with efficiency. Mabona pointed out that successful farming today requires significant skills and capital investment. Rising input costs, energy expenses and market fluctuations demand that farmers operate smarter and more strategically.

“Agriculture is a game of large scale and efficiency,” she explained. “And that efficiency requires skill and capital.”

For this reason, she emphasised that institutions like Standard Bank must play a role in helping farmers access financial support. Many first-generation farmers struggle to secure funding to grow their operations, and this financial gap must be addressed for the industry to remain sustainable.

Financial access: A key to unlocking agricultural potential

Mabona acknowledged that access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers for emerging farmers. Despite efforts by banks, governments and organisations, many farmers still cannot afford the essentials needed to run a successful operation.

She referenced historical examples of how entities like the Land Bank supported early farmers, providing low-interest loans that allowed them to establish themselves. “We must learn from those lessons and improve on them,” she urged.

Furthermore, she stressed that institutions must evolve to meet the needs of young farmers who approach agriculture differently. “The next generation of farmers is young and dynamic. They think differently and we must adapt to remain relevant to their needs.”

Agriculture as a tool for food security

While South Africa is known for its agricultural exports and self-sufficiency in many commodities, Mabona reminded the audience that food insecurity remains a pressing issue.

“We measure our success globally, but how do we measure success when many of our own people go to bed hungry?” she asked.

Agriculture is not just about profitability; it is about ensuring local communities have access to affordable and nutritious food. She called for more investments in initiatives that support smallholder farmers and ensure locally produced food reaches those who need it most.

Collaboration and innovation

Mabona concluded with a call for greater collaboration. Farming is not just a job; it is a science, a business and a way of life. For agriculture to thrive, financial institutions, government bodies and farmers themselves must work together to drive innovation, share knowledge and create a more inclusive farming landscape.

“Every stakeholder – whether in banking, agribusiness or policy – has a role to play in making agriculture more sustainable and accessible,” she said. “We must ask ourselves: How do we change? How do we adapt? The future of farming depends on our willingness to find solutions together.”

Her words serve as a reminder that the success of agriculture in Africa is not just about individual farms or businesses, but about the broader ecosystem that supports them. With the right balance of tradition, finance and innovation, Africa’s farmers can build a resilient and thriving agricultural sector for generations to come.