'Support small farmers'

POWERFUL: TRIBAL CHIEF SAYS THEY CONTRIBUTE TO GROWTH, SECURITY

- Citizen reporter

Kgosi Nyalala Pilane, leader of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela traditional authority, has urged government, industry and the broader public to take decisive steps in recognising and supporting small-scale farmers as a powerful economic force waiting to be unleashed.

"Small-scale farming is not a side hustle. It is a serious contributor to household food security and local employment," Pilane said.

"With the right investment, it can become one of the most important drivers of economic growth in South Africa."

South Africa is home to more than two million smallholder farmers, most of whom are subsistence farmers.

Pilane said this should not be seen as a limitation, but rather a starting point for economic inclusion and rural development.

"These farmers already feed their families. Many of them feed their neighbours, too.

"What they need is access - access to markets, access to finance, access to infrastructure. If we open those doors, they will walk through them," he said.