The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), in partnership with Total South Africa hosted the 13th annual DAFF Female Entrepreneur Awards at a gala dinner held at the St George Hotel in Pretoria yesterday, 23 August 2013.
The awards are part of the department’s contribution during women’s month in line with the theme; “Harnessing women’s talent for sustainable food security: A vision beyond 2030.”
In her congratulatory remarks Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the event takes place in a time when our country needed all the resources possible to make food security a priority. “I am calling upon all our finalists sitting here today and to the rest of women folks involved in agriculture to familiarise themselves with the priorities of Government for economic development,” said the Minister. She further emphasised that DAFF will continue its campaign of recognising and empowering women as contributors to food security and agricultural development.
In her address to the nominees, the General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Total South Africa, Ms Pansy Mekwa said the public private partnership with the department is a good vehicle in the empowerment of women. She further made reference to the 2010 Overall Winner Mavis Mathabatha who started with 12 Moringa trees and has now expanded her plantation by 7 500 trees in a 15 ha orchard and is exporting crushed moringa, powder moringa and moringa capsules to Indonesia, USA and UK.
This competition starts at a provincial level where all nine provincial departments of agriculture participate in the different categories which culminates to the main gala event. The programme aims to encourage and increase the participation of women, youth and people with disabilities in the sector.
The awards categories and winners are:
- Best Female Worker in the Sector and the winner is Siphiwe Machika from Gauteng
- Best Subsistence Producer in the Sector and the winner is Kenalemang Olga Kgoroeadira from North West
- Top Entrepreneur in the Sector: Smallholder and the winner is Lungelwa Kama from Eastern Cape
- Top Entrepreneur Processing in the Sector and the winner is Mpho Rosy Molete-Matlanyane from Free State
- Top Female Entrepreneur in the Sector: Commercial and the winner is Thandi Cynthia Mokwena from Mpumalanga
- Top Entrepreneur in the Sector: Export Markets and the winner is Nomzamo Khoza from KwaZulu-Natal
- Top Entrepreneur National Markets and the winner is Maria Malan from Northern Cape
- Minister’s Special Awards (recognise young entrepreneurs and/or persons with disability in the sector) and the winners are Josephine Mabyalwa Raserope-Rikhotso from Limpopo. The award also went to Nobuhle Mthembu from KwaZulu-Natal. The winner in the youth section is Preline Swart of Western Cape.
The 2013/14 Overall Winner of these categories went to Nomzamo Khoza from KwaZulu-Natal. The reigning farmer will be in this position up until August 2014 when the new overall winner will be announced.
For further information please contact:
Steve Galane
Acting Chief Director: Stakeholder Relations and Communications
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Cell: 083 635 7346
E-mail: SteveGAL@daff.gov.za
