As South Africa commemorates Youth Day on 16 June, our nation pauses to remember the courage of the young people who took to the streets in 1976 to demand a better future. They carried the hopes of a generation and challenged a system that denied them opportunities and dignity.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
Fifty years later, the challenges facing young South Africans may be different, but the need for courage, organisation and action remains just as important. Today, I want to speak directly to the young people of South Africa and especially those in agriculture.
Young farmer, sharpen up your farming spear.
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A new generation, a new struggle
The generation of 1976 fought for the right to learn. Your generation must fight for the right to produce, to innovate, to own businesses and to create jobs. While previous generations fought political battles, your generation faces economic battles. Unemployment, poverty, food insecurity and limited access to opportunities remain stubborn challenges across many rural communities.
Agriculture offers one of the most powerful weapons available to young people who want to change their circumstances and build lasting wealth.
Changing perceptions about agriculture
I am encouraged whenever I attend farmers’ days, agricultural expos and industry gatherings across the country. Increasingly, I see young faces in the crowds. I meet young people who no longer view agriculture as dirty work or a last resort for those who have failed elsewhere. Instead, they see it for what it truly is: a business, a career and a pathway to generational prosperity.
This shift in mindset is one of the most positive developments taking place in South African agriculture today.
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Organise and demand opportunities
But inspiration alone is not enough.
Young people involved in farming and agro-processing must organise themselves. They must form associations, cooperatives and networks. They must knock on the doors of government departments, development agencies, municipalities, banks and private-sector partners. They must insist that youth-owned agricultural projects receive the support, funding, training and market access they need to succeed.
No one will care more about the future of young farmers than young farmers themselves.
Technology is the new farming tool
The good news is that today’s youth possess tools previous generations could only dream of. Technology has levelled the playing field in many ways. Through smartphones, artificial intelligence, social media, drones, precision farming, digital marketplaces and online learning platforms, young farmers can access information, customers and opportunities from almost anywhere.
Technology is not replacing farmers. It is empowering a new generation of farmers to work smarter, market better and compete more effectively.
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Investing in youth is investing in agriculture
However, the responsibility does not rest solely on the shoulders of young people.
For those leading development agencies, government departments, commodity organisations and agricultural institutions, the message is equally clear.
As the late struggle stalwart Oliver Tambo once said: “A country, a movement, a person that does not value its youth and children does not deserve its future.”
The future of South African agriculture depends on how seriously we invest in young people today. If we fail to create meaningful pathways into farming and agro-processing, we risk losing a generation of innovators, producers and job creators.
Keeping the spirit of 16 June alive
Youth Day should not only be a day of remembrance. It should be a day of commitment.
A commitment by young people to seize opportunities in agriculture. A commitment by industry leaders to open doors. A commitment by government to support youth-led enterprises. And a commitment by all of us to ensure the spirit of 16 June lives on – not only in our history books, but in the fields, farms, packhouses and agro-processing facilities that will feed future generations.
Young people, the future is calling.
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