MEC Nakedi Kekana highlights the transformative power of women-led farming initiatives during a visit to a successful poultry operation.
By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming
The Limpopo government has reinforced its commitment to empowering women in agriculture through the Basadi Temong programme, with MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Nakedi Kekana delivering an address during a support visit to Nakedi Poultry Farm in Ga-Mabuela in Mapela, Mogalakwena Local Municipality.
Speaking on behalf of Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba during Women’s Month celebrations, Kekana emphasised the critical role women play in South Africa’s agricultural sector and the economy at large.
“When a woman tills the soil, she does not just plant seeds, she plants hope, she cultivates resilience and she harvests the future,” Kekana said.
A Model Of Women-led Agriculture Success
The visit showcased Nakedi Poultry Farm, owned by 32-year-old entrepreneur Ms Itumeleng Bridget Mahwete, as a prime example of what women can achieve when given the opportunity to lead in agriculture. The farm operates dual commodities – a hatchery producing day-old chicks and a broiler production unit that generates approximately 1 000 broiler chickens weekly.
With a hatchery capacity of 3 440 chicks per cycle and eight poultry houses each accommodating 1 000 birds, the operation demonstrates the scale and professionalism that women can bring to agricultural enterprise. Notably, Mahwete personally funded the farm’s infrastructure, with support from the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for production inputs.
“This farm is producing more than poultry, it is producing dignity, it is producing jobs, it is producing a new model of inclusive agricultural growth,” Kekana observed, highlighting how the enterprise provides employment for five permanent workers, five seasonal employees and one student in experiential training.
Historical Context And Ongoing Struggles
The MEC connected the contemporary struggle for women’s economic empowerment to the historic 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where more than 20 000 women protested against unjust pass laws.
“Their cry was clear: no nation is free until its women are free, no economy is prosperous until its women are prosperous, and no democracy is complete until its women are equal,” Kekana reminded the audience, drawing parallels between past and present challenges.
Despite significant progress since apartheid, the MEC acknowledged that many women, particularly in rural areas, remain excluded from land ownership and face barriers to accessing credit and markets.
“When women are excluded, half of our nation’s potential is wasted,” she emphasised, calling the situation both unjust and economically irrational.
Strategic Government Intervention
The address outlined government’s recognition of systemic barriers that limit women’s participation in agriculture. Kekana highlighted critical areas requiring intervention.
Secure access to land, water and credit emerged as non-negotiable requirements. “Without these, opportunity remains an illusion,” the MEC stated.
Kekana said that education and training programmes need to cover financial literacy, climate-smart farming, market intelligence and entrepreneurial skills. “Knowledge is the fertiliser that will grow productivity,” said Kekana.
She said that technology adoption must transition from luxury to necessity, with drones, biotechnology, weather prediction tools and digital platforms reaching rural women farmers.
She said that legal and policy frameworks require strengthening to protect women from dispossession, exclusion and discrimination in agricultural contexts.
Presidential Vision And Economic Strategy
Quoting President Cyril Ramaphosa, Kekana reinforced the economic imperative of women’s empowerment: “When we empower women, we empower a nation. When we educate women, we educate a nation. When we support women in enterprise, we support the economic future of our nation.”
The MEC said these words were strategic rather than merely inspirational, emphasising that “investing in women is not charity, it is the smartest investment we can make in our economy”.
Future Vision For Agriculture Transformation
Looking ahead, Kekana painted a vision of inclusive agricultural development that moves beyond traditional gender roles.
“The future of agriculture is not male. The future of agriculture is not female. The future of agriculture is inclusive, collaborative and innovative, and women must stand at its very centre,” she said.
The MEC called for a shift from commemoration to action, challenging stakeholders to move “from symbolism to strategy. From rhetoric to results.”
She referenced recent engagements with young agriculturalists at the University of Limpopo, many of them women, who demonstrated a passion for farming and a hunger for opportunity. This interaction reinforced the need for government, business and communities to create enabling environments for emerging agricultural leaders.
