Imbizo 2026 | Next 10 years? ‘We need to move from “participation” to genuine scaling’

Agricultural transformation across Africa must shift from token participation programmes to genuine scaling initiatives if the continent is to realise its farming potential over the next decade, said industry leaders at the African Farming Imbizo held at Time Square Hotel in Pretoria on 26 and 27 March.

By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming

The high-level panel discussion, facilitated by African Farming editor Lebogang Mashala, brought together influential voices from across the agricultural value chain to address the pressing question: “What must change now for agricultural transformation over the next 10 years?”

Breaking Down Structural Barriers

The discussion revealed that agriculture’s slow transformation stems from structural barriers rather than individual failures. “We’re dealing with designed exclusion,” noted one panellist, highlighting how systemic issues around finance access, market entry and regulatory compliance continue to hamper progress.

Also read: Imbizo 2026 | From support to sustainability: MEC Ramokgopa challenges farmers to build bankable futures

Bennedicter “Benica” Mhlongo from Benica Farm delivered perhaps the most pointed critique of current funding approaches. “We have too much ‘busy work’ funding that keeps people participating but never enables real scaling,” he argued. “We need to move from blanket approaches to case-by-case funding where farmers get the full capital they need to execute their visions, not just token grants.”

A Staged Approach to Finance

Jabu Mphambo from Land Bank outlined a more nuanced understanding of agricultural finance needs. “Different farmers require different types of support at various stages of their development,” he explained, citing the bank’s R4 billion in approved blended finance covering approximately 784 000ha.

Mphambo advocated for a staged financing model: Blended finance for start-up and mid-stage farmers to build credibility, followed by commercial and development finance institution funding for large-scale operations. “Blended finance isn’t a panacea for everything, especially large commercial projects, but it’s crucial for building the foundation,” he said.

Building ‘Fundable Farmers’

Sizo Tshabalala from Tshabalala Foods emphasised the critical role of mindset and business skills development. “Many farmers lack knowledge about compliance and business systems,” he observed. “We need to focus on building fundable farmers through compliance training, realistic business planning and persistence.”

Tshabalala’s approach centres on starting small, professionalising operations and then scaling to supply formal retail markets. His success story shows how farmers can transition from informal to institutional markets with the right preparation and systems.

Private Sector Innovation

Ntuthuko Shezi from Livestock Wealth presented innovative private sector solutions to traditional funding challenges. “We’re seeing red tape and working capital access issues, but there are alternatives,” he noted, describing crowd-farming models that mobilise private capital while de-risking farmers.

Also read: Imbizo 2026 | FMD demands action across the value chain – Louw van Reenen

Shezi advocated concentrating investment in scalable farms rather than scattering small inputs, and pursuing export-focused, high-value crops like macadamias and citrus to capture hard currency and achieve large-scale growth.

Collective Action

Representatives from young farmers’ associations highlighted the power of collective action in overcoming systemic barriers. One speaker described how a registered association of approximately 100 young farmers pools resources for equipment purchases and provides collective compliance support to unlock markets.

“There’s often a disconnect between government and private sector funding,” the representative noted. “Through collective action, we’re finding solutions that individual farmers couldn’t achieve alone.”

Export-oriented Future

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need for export orientation. Multiple panellists emphasised that local markets quickly become saturated and that international markets offer the scale needed for genuine transformation.

The panel also addressed infrastructure challenges, with audience member Lydia, a poultry farmer, highlighting the gap between current blended finance caps of R50 million to R100 million and the R500 million needed for major processing facilities.

Looking Ahead

As the discussion concluded, panellists agreed that the next decade requires a fundamental shift in approach. Rather than continuing programmes that maintain farmers in perpetual development phases, the focus must turn to creating commercially viable, export-ready operations.

Also read: Imbizo 2026 | Farmer Sizo Tshabalala shares pain, perseverance and rising again

Leeko Makoene-Motsuenyane from Made with Rural emphasised that success would require coordination between private sector innovation, appropriate government policy and farmer-led capacity building.

The consensus was clear: Africa’s agricultural transformation demands moving beyond participation to genuine scaling, supported by appropriate financing structures, compliance systems and market-oriented strategies that position farmers to compete globally.

African Farming Agri-Development Imbizo 2026

The African Farming Agri-Development Imbizo 2026 took place on 26 and 27 March at Time Square Hotel in Pretoria. This two-day event brought together more than 200 farmers, agribusiness entrepreneurs, policymakers, financiers and industry leaders. The goal was clear: To align resources, unlock opportunities and strengthen partnerships that will accelerate the growth of South Africa’s new generation of commercial farmers.

Hosted by African Farming, the Imbizo builds on a strong commitment to advancing black commercial agriculture through information-sharing, networking and development-driven platforms.