African Farming’s latest Production and Money Matters for Farmers Workshop, held at Esbi Khaya Farm in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, drew nearly 250 attendees.
By Maphuti Mongatane, business development manager at African Farming
Farmers from across the Matatiele region gathered at Esbi Khaya Farm in the Ongeluksnek area on 2 July 2026 for the Production and Money Matters for Farmers Workshop, hosted by African Farming in partnership with WillowField Trade.
The strong turnout reflected the demand for practical agricultural information and the support of local farmers for host Andile Ndzunga, who opened his farm for the event.
Farmers came from far to learn about improving productivity, strengthening their businesses, and finding out about opportunities to help them build more sustainable and profitable enterprises.
Also read: Practical solutions for rural household food production
Practical knowledge from industry experts
The workshop brought together experts from across the agricultural value chain who presented practical information that farmers could apply on their own farms.
Representatives from Land Bank, Land Bank Insurance, AFGRI, John Deere and Irrimec, among others, shared insights on agricultural finance, building bankable farming businesses, insurance, mechanisation, soil health and profitability. The programme catered for farmers at different stages of development, ensuring that everyone left with practical ideas to implement.
Learning from experience
One of the highlights of the day was a presentation by Andile Ndzunga, the director of WillowField Trade, about his experience of building a successful commercial farming enterprise. He spoke about both the opportunities and the challenges he had encountered, offering practical lessons that resonated with many of the attendees.
By hosting the workshop on his farm and sharing his experiences, Ndzunga demonstrated the value of farmers learning from one another and creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing within their communities.
African Farming thanked Ndzunga, his family and the Esbi Khanya Farm team for their hospitality.
Attendees enjoyed a welcoming atmosphere throughout the event, with plenty of opportunities to network, exchange ideas and strengthen relationships over an excellent lunch.
Also read: How Grain SA’s Phahama Grain Phakama is turning small-scale farmers into grain entrepreneurs
Partnerships that benefit farmers
Beyond the presentations, the workshop highlighted the importance of collaboration between farmers, agribusinesses and financial institutions. Bringing these role players together gave farmers direct access to information, advice and services that can help improve the sustainability and profitability of their farming businesses.
The Matatiele workshop formed part of African Farming’s commitment to take practical production and financial information directly to farming communities across South Africa. The event demonstrated how collaboration and knowledge-sharing can help equip farmers with the tools they need to grow successful enterprises.
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