Opening up opportunities for future farmers by exposing them to technology

Magda du Toit attended the launch of a strategic collaborative partnership between Earth Hub Africa, MTN SA Foundation, and Shell South Africa, aimed at creating scalable smart farming in rural areas.

- Magda du Toit

Transforming the manner in which emerging agripreneurs are able to gain access to tools, knowledge and market participation is the focus of the strategic collaborative partnership between Earth Hub Africa, MTN SA Foundation and Shell South Africa. The initiative will provide 10 youth agripreneurs with structured exposure, training and operational support inside Earth Hub Africa’s commercial production system. Each farmer will participate directly in live farming operations gaining the experience, tools and market access needed to build a sustainable, independent agribusiness beyond the programme.

They will be supported by:

• Digital agriculture tools, including drones, Internet of Things sensors, and real-time crop dashboards;

• SETA-accredited training aligned with national production standards;

• Direct market linkages through formal offtake partners; and

• Ongoing business support from Earth Hub’s integrated infrastructure and partner network.