South African Breweries’ “Cheers to Farmers” event on 17 September marked 130 years of the company’s unwavering commitment to farmers and highlighted the significant economic impact of the beer agriculture industry in South Africa. The SAB event specifically celebrated the barley farmers who are part of the FarmSol development programme in Taung.
By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming
Barley is a fundamental ingredient in beer production, providing the essential fermentable sugars for alcohol production, as well as proteins crucial for head retention and colour in the final product.
Empowering Local Communities Through Agriculture
Madoda Sambatha, MEC of the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, delivered the keynote address. He began by expressing his deep appreciation for South African Breweries’ extraordinary commitment to the agricultural sector. “What SAB is doing for our farmers goes far beyond what we typically expect from a brewing company,” he stated emphatically. “They have gone beyond their expected role by buying tractors, supporting productivity and contributing meaningfully to our local development.”
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The MEC highlighted the exemplary nature of the partnership between the provincial government and SAB, describing it as “a model for successful public-private partnership that follows government policy and contributes directly to community upliftment.” He noted with appreciation how SAB’s initiatives have helped relieve pressure on government resources while fostering both economic and agricultural growth in the region.
‘Fertile land must be used for production; not left idle’
“Each farmer supported by SAB has a multiplier effect,” MEC Sambatha explained. “They benefit not only themselves but also the broader community as one farmer can support at least six individuals.”
The MEC did not shy away from addressing the harsh realities facing the district. “While this region struggles with poverty and inequality, initiatives like those of SAB are crucial in addressing these challenges and promoting local economic development,” he acknowledged.
He went on to emphasise the critical importance of land utilisation. “Fertile land must be used for production; not left idle. We must move beyond merely celebrating fertile land to ensuring its utilisation for tangible outcomes, like food production and job creation.”
He stressed the importance of ensuring farmers are actively engaged in farming operations; not merely serving as administrators or passive participants. “We need farmers who work the land, who understand the soil, who live and breathe agriculture,” he said.
Also read: SAB highlights beer sector’s contribution to agricultural economy
Government Commitments and Future Vison
Looking toward the future, MEC Sambatha outlined specific commitments from the provincial government. “We have committed to collaborating with SAB to expand initiatives like the irrigation scheme,” he announced. “We plan to work with the Department of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water and Sanitation to increase the scheme’s capacity to cover other areas in the North West province.”
The MEC advocated strongly for crop rotation practices to ensure continuous agricultural productivity and meaningful engagement of farmers with their land. He also called for “the urgent development of communal and restricted land to ensure all available land is utilised for productive purposes.”
In his closing remarks, he emphasised the importance of recognising individual farmers for their contributions, regardless of gender.
“This partnership with SAB represents more than just business collaboration. It represents hope, opportunity and the kind of meaningful development our communities need. As we celebrate 130 years of SAB’s commitment to farmers, we’re also celebrating the future we’re building together – a future that transforms lives, communities and our entire agricultural landscape.”
Also read: FarmSol hands over harvester to Taung farmers
Another Harvester thanks to FarmSol
At the event the SAB unveiled another multimillion-rand harvester to speed up the harvesting process.
Speaking to African Farming, Aaron Kole, MD of FarmSol Holdings, an agricultural services company linking these barley farmers to SAB, said the harvester will help the farmers in big ways because in Taung they harvest twice a year. “It is absolutely critical to harvest in time without any delays, so this harvester will ensure we have increased capacity to harvest in time and go back into the field to plant the next crop without delays.”
Kole says it took them a day to harvest 40 hectares but now with added capacity, they can easily cover 80 hectares a day. On the day, Kole was also given a recognition award by the SAB for his role. He expressed gratitude to the SAB for the award and the investment in Taung, a community relying heavily on farming.
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Sipho Sibinda, who is responsible for operating the planting and harvesting equipment, agreed that the second harvester will speed up the time. “This year we harvested late due to the rain that kept disturbing us, but now with this second harvester we will be able to navigate such difficulties.”
Also read: FarmSol input subsidy gives hope to KZN smallholder farmers
