By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
“How can we help you?” Many South Africans will recognise this catchy marketing slogan from one of the country’s big banks. Powerful words meant to set a company apart in its approach to customer service. If I were Minister of Agriculture or Rural Development and Land Reform, I would adopt this slogan as my own, especially when it comes to developing black farmers.
It is a task that has been mishandled for more than three decades. Ministers have come and gone, yet the problem remains: We have failed to give black farmers the support they need to thrive. Despite countless promises, glossy master plans and high-level speeches, black farmers are still not playing the prominent role they should in our agricultural economy. And while the government must shoulder most of the blame for this neglect, banks have not exactly covered themselves in glory either.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the country’s top black commercial farmers. These are men and women who, through grit, skill and sheer determination, have built sustainable businesses despite enormous obstacles. They have survived droughts, market volatility and policy uncertainty, often with no meaningful institutional support.
Their stories inspire hope. They prove that excellence is possible regardless of where you start. But if these farmers want to scale up, improve profitability and create more jobs, they need more than passion. They need targeted, practical support.
One of the most critical gaps is extension services. Every farmer I speak to complains about how poor or absent these services have become. In the past, white commercial farmers benefited from skilled extension officers who offered technical guidance, production advice and troubleshooting support.
Today, this once-vital system is a shadow of its former self. Many officers are underqualified, under-resourced or simply unavailable. Upskilling the current workforce is one solution, but it also requires strong leadership from the minister to restore accountability and professionalism. Without this, we are setting up farmers to fail.
Then there is the perennial challenge of access to finance. On paper, South Africa boasts a wide range of financial products from both public and private sectors. In practice, it’s an illusion.
The Land Bank, for example, has a disappointingly low number of black farmers as clients – just 8% of its loan book, last I checked. Commercial banks are even worse. The core barrier? Collateral. Most black commercial farmers lease their land from the state, which makes it almost impossible to secure loans.
Farmers have been clear: Give us title deeds to the land we lease, and we’ll buy it if necessary. That deed can serve as collateral to unlock finance. Alternatively, we must rethink how collateral works, especially for state-backed finance institutions like the Land Bank.
We are hopeful that Blended Finance will be a game changer; however, its slow progress gives me little confidence.
It shouldn’t be this hard. These farmers aren’t asking for freebies; they’re asking for a fair chance. They’re ready to pay back loans, invest in their businesses and contribute more to the economy.
The old farming credit councils/boards that helped develop white commercial farmers show us that viable models exist. And yet, we’ve replaced action with endless “master plans” that gather dust. How many years have we been drawing up these plans? How many farmers have they helped?
South Africa is blessed with a crop of exceptional black commercial farmers who have already proven they can compete and win in the toughest of markets. What they lack is not ability, but access. The solutions are staring us in the face: Restore competent extension services, make finance truly accessible and secure land rights so farmers can leverage their assets.
It is time to stop mistaking policy documents for progress. A little help, the right kind of help, could transform these farmers from resilient survivors into the agricultural powerhouses our country desperately needs. After 30 years of waiting, they have more than earned it.
