AgriFund Connect Summit – Meet our speakers (part 3)

In a move to unlock new pathways for agricultural growth and transformation, African Farming will host the first-ever AgriFund Connect Summit on Thursday, 6 November 2025 at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre.

Here are some of our esteemed speakers

Aron Kole – FarmSol

Aron is the Managing Director of FarmSol, where he collaborates with partners such as South African Breweries and Siqalo Foods. He has an MBA as well as qualifications in strategic leadership and project management. With more than 14 years of diverse experience in agronomy, business development, sales, project management and strategic leadership, he is a hands-on business development executive. Aron is passionate about developing smallholder farmers and has the expertise to design and implement agricultural support programmes in collaboration with both producers and multinational companies in the food and beverage sector.

Sareta Schutte – CEO of Murchison Holdings

Sareta is the CEO of Murchison Holdings, chairperson of the Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) RIG Mpumalanga and an executive at the WRSA and the Ankole Society of South Africa. As the CEO of Murchison Holdings, she oversees more than 20 businesses, including Kilima Private Game Reserve & Spa, Kilima Horned Heritage, African Wildlife Veterinary Masters (AWVM), Nitro Express and Saturn Media House. Each entity is a building block in a greater vision of rural prosperity through wildlife, cattle, hospitality and media, a model she passionately advocates through her speaking and writing.

Tshegofatso Selepe – Kgodiso Development Fund

Tshegofatso Tshegofatso is the Head of Agribusiness at the Kgodiso Development Fund, bringing a decade of experience in agricultural finance and industry insights. She holds a BCom in Agribusiness Management from the University of Pretoria (2011). Her career began at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) as a Research Analyst, where she contributed to policy-focused economic research. She later joined Standard Bank’s Agricultural Division as an Agric Insights Analyst, responsible for producing strategic agricultural sector reports that informed lending decisions and growth opportunities for the bank. Dedicated to driving transformation, sustainability and investment in agriculture, Tshegofatso combines strong analytical expertise with a deep passion for agribusiness development in South Africa.

Marcia Hlanjwa – Kuwala Financial Services

Marcia has built an impressive career as an Agricultural Insurance Specialist and Marketing Strategist over the past decade, working in various corporate roles within the insurance and agriculture industries. As the Group CEO of Donga Group, she plays a significant role in developing strategies, implementation plans and operating models for the organisation. Marcia possesses strong technical knowledge and places a high emphasis on customer service and retention. Her ability to establish and maintain strong relationships contributes to the sustainability of the company. Throughout her career, she has held several senior positions in corporate environments and currently sits on multiple boards within these two industries.