Youth in Agriculture

Activating

Support for Semi-Retired

Farming

Enterprise
development hubs

Local

Economy Programmes

Green

Activating Youth
in Agriculture

This programme is in partnership with the Presidential Stimulus Social Employment initiative.
To date, Siyavuna has trained and mentored more than 1000 youth in eight rural communities, helping to realize our objective of engaging youth in agriculture.

Siyavuna takes great pride in its brand "Kumnandi" (it's delicious), which stands for natural, fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables that are farmed without chemicals and in accordance with agro-ecological agricultural practices.

Farming support for
semi-retired farmers

This programme showcases the success of employing tried and trusted indigenous farming methods. More than 2000 elderly farmers have received ongoing farmer mentoring from Siyavuna over the past fourteen years along with training in food production. The farmers then transfer their skills and knowledge to young farmers.

This programme contributes to food security, eco-friendly agriculture and the preservation of agricultural heritage.

Local Enterprise
development hubs

Siyavuna takes local farmers beyond the farm gate with a robust value chain geared for micro-agriculture. Farmers produce food for their own consumption, sell it to their neighbours, and then sell any extra, still-high-quality product to Siyavuna.

The product is purchased by Siyavuna at a reasonable price, and it is then sold to urban markets, the hospitality sector (local restaurants), and the food lovers' market.

Green Economy
programmes

Agroecological farms and ecosystems managed through agroecological practices can enhance availability, access, stability, and utilization – which contribute to reducing rural poverty, enhancing resilience, promoting local development and improving communities' livelihoods.

Agroecological farming prevents soil deterioration, creating sustainable land.

OUR

PROGRAMMES

We obtain sustainable micro-agricultural growth

by implementing resilient agricultural programmes with 5 focus areas

Sound environmental & agricultural management principles

Our programmes demonstrate the transition towards sustainable agriculture, which not only improves food production, but also protects the environment.

agro-ecological knowledge

The key to ensuring that non-chemical / indigenous agricultural methods are passed down through the generations is the preservation of indigenous knowledge and the transmission of skills from experienced farmers to youth through on-site mentorship programs.

nutritional diversity and food security

Day of collection! Siyavuna farmers produce vegetables not only for their own consumption but also to sell to their neighbours and to the organisation that makes sure that high-quality produce from rural farmers reaches urban markets.

strengthening of agricultural value chains

Siyavuna farmers understand the concept of value chain participation because their production begins with the seed and ends on the table.

entrepreneural skills development for sustainable livelihoods

Sustainable livelihoods are possible through agriculture, but only with programmes that instil sound business skills alongside the agricultural knowhow. Farming is a business!

PROGRAMME

COMPONENTS

Training and
Capacity Building
SETA Accredited

In-field
Mentorship

Farmer Association Meetings & Networks

PROGRAMME INNOVATION

AND SUSTAINABILITY

Our agricultural programmes offer innovation at multiple levels.

This not only helps with efficiency and effectiveness but also contributes to long term sustainability.

We offer our participants the chance

To maintain and grow their farming businesses beyond the farm gate.

PROCESS INNOVATION

Process Innovation allows us to combat the bad practices that deplete and damage the natural resources by introducing more efficient irrigation and indigenous knowledge to improve harvest production yield

PRODUCT INNOVATION

Product innovation allows us to introduce healthier and more nutritious foods. The lack of chemical products in our value chain improves the health benefits of all the produce. Our drying processes allows for new product lines to be introduced in addition to fresh produce.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Supply chain innovation allows us to link our micro farmers to markets successfully taking them beyond the farm gate

SOCIAL INNOVATION

Social Innovation enables us to use the strength of our organisational capacity as well as our networks, collaborations/partnerships and assets in the community to strengthen programme outcomes and impact

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

Agricultural programmes are stretched across large geographies in difficult to access areas. To effectively monitor, manage and evaluate each participant’s progress, we will implement a mobile phone based in-field M&E system

SUSTAINABILITY

OUR PRODUCE

AND MARKETS

We create localised opportunities
for communities

to become more self-reliant and less dependent on ad hoc aid and programme funding. Our approach includes opportunities for individuals in all the stages from seed to sales.