A new partnership between North-West University (NWU), Community Venture Capital (Pty) Ltd (CVC) and NWU Enterprises (Pty) Ltd (NWUE) aims to unlock the finance, markets and support needed to help smallholder farmers and rural enterprises grow into sustainable businesses.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor, African Farming
The three organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday, 7 August 2026, establishing a strategic framework for collaboration in agricultural financing, market access, logistics optimisation and business empowerment in South Africa and across the African region.
Breaking the finance barrier
Access to capital is one of the central challenges the partnership seeks to address. The organisations will develop innovative financing solutions for smallholder farmers and emerging agribusinesses, including blended finance models, public-private partnerships and institutional funding.
The aim is to mobilise capital that can help viable rural enterprises expand production, invest in infrastructure and participate more effectively in formal agricultural value chains.
Also read: From animal health to finance: What emerging farmers need to know to go commercial
Opening doors to mainstream markets
The partnership will also focus on helping community-based producers and cooperatives access mainstream markets.
This will include support for product aggregation, certification and quality assurance to enable producers to meet retail and export standards.
Logistics will form another important component, with the partners exploring cost-effective transport, warehousing and cold-chain solutions to improve the movement of produce from rural farms to markets.
They will also investigate co-investment opportunities in logistics infrastructure in rural and agricultural hubs.
Also read: Farming is a long game: Five lessons in building a business that lasts
Turning skills into enterprise
The agreement places particular emphasis on enterprise and supplier development, with programmes targeting women, young people and rural agricultural entrepreneurs.
These programmes will provide technical training, business mentorship and skills transfer in agribusiness management and innovation.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Anna Mokgokong, NWU chancellor and Community Investment Holdings (CIH) founder and group chairperson, stressed that universities should be active partners in the communities they serve.
Mokgokong said she wanted to use her experience to strengthen NWU’s contribution to the development of North West and beyond. She said the partnership would ultimately be judged by what it delivered on the ground. “These signatures and documents must not gather dust,” she said.
Linking research to commercialisation
CIH Venture Capital CEO Phenyo Mogamisi said the partnership was driven by the need to better align funding, research and commercialisation to strengthen food security and economic participation.
“We recognised a need to unlock funding and commercialisation in agriculture to advance food security in North West and Gauteng,” Mogamisi said.
Under the arrangement, NWU will lead research, skills development and quality assurance, while NWU Enterprises will focus on project preparation, management and market access.
CIH will support the partnership by mobilising private-sector funding, strengthening logistics and agro-processing capacity, and helping ensure agricultural products reach the market.
NWU Enterprises CEO Duncan Raftesath said the initiative would help translate academic expertise into practical solutions.
“Through NWU Enterprises, we will bring research, training, consulting and project management together to deliver practical solutions that create value for industry and society,” he said.
Also read: Elevate Her | Are we making it too hard to access agricultural funding?
Farms become laboratories
NWU principal and vice-chancellor Prof. Bismark Tyobeka said the partnership would also create opportunities for students, researchers and academics to engage directly with agricultural production.
“Our farms will become laboratories where students gain practical experience while contributing to agricultural innovation,” Tyobeka said.
Undergraduate students will gain hands-on experience, while postgraduate researchers will investigate ways to improve crop resilience, increase yields and advance smart, water-efficient farming.
Tyobeka said the initiative could also help students become entrepreneurs, support emerging farmers and contribute to the development of rural communities.
For emerging farmers, the test will be whether this collaboration between academia, finance and industry translates into practical support on the ground.
Also read:
What financiers look for in a farming business plan
‘Keep knocking on doors’: Farmer shares why persistence pays when applying for farm finance
‘R92 million for black farmers and there’s more to come’ – Kgodiso Development Fund
