The goal of the 2025 women incubation programme is to empower women working in agriculture by giving them the tools and training they need to become more capable businesspeople.

The programme focuses on assisting female farmers with regulatory issues, market access, training, capacity building, and developing workable business plans to attract capital and direct their agricultural endeavours.

“Women in agriculture and the farming sector are struggling with access to many things like land, finances, and even marketing our products,” said Free State Afasa planning committee member Tracy Marobobo, herself a farmer.

“So we decided not to wait for the government to do it for us, but let’s do it ourselves. You will find that the women earmarked for this programme are from different sectors in agriculture, and in different stages as well.”

The whole intent is to address the issue of women's inclusion in a mainstream economy in agriculture. We have profiled 25 women who will be going through this programme, she said.

Challenges female farmers face

Marobobo is a Bonsmara farmer in Ventersburg and has been farming since 2016. She specialises in breeding winners for the feedlot market, and she strictly deals in beef.

She says the challenges female farmers face are many, but to name a few, they are access to land, finances, markets for their produce, and road access.

The programme focuses on assisting female farmers with regulatory issues. Photo: Facebook/Free State AFASA Commodities

Afasa Women was launched in 2019 to stand for the commercialisation of women farmers and to lobby and advocate in favour of women in agriculture. The programme is actively working to advocate for improved land accessibility and secure occupancy for farmers.

It also aims to equip women with the necessary knowledge and skills to meet standards so that their produce can seamlessly enter formal markets, ensuring profitability.

Afasa Women strive to close gender gaps

“Female farmers face additional hurdles of recognition and support,” said Marobobo. “They entered the sector by working alongside male relatives and inherited operations after the passing of husbands or fathers, often without formal succession plans in place.”

Afasa Women strive to close these gender gaps and secure sustainable, independent futures for female farmers in the region, she said.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg