Hollard recently hosted the third edition of the Women’s Voice in Agriculture competition. The initiative celebrates women whose work is helping to strengthen agriculture, from primary production and research to entrepreneurship, community upliftment, food security and sector development. It is an important platform for recognising the people and partnerships that help make agriculture more resilient, inclusive and connected.
As agriculture becomes more complex, the risks and opportunities facing the sector are increasingly interconnected. A challenge in one part of the agricultural value chain can affect production, logistics, market access, cash flow, employment and the communities that depend on the sector. This makes collaboration across the ecosystem more important than ever.
Andries Wiese, Head of Agriculture at Hollard Insure, said Women’s Voice in Agriculture reflects the kind of connected thinking needed to support the sector’s future. “Agriculture does not operate in a linear fashion. It is an ecosystem of farmers, brokers, researchers, agribusinesses, communities, financiers, logistics partners and many others whose work is deeply connected. Our role is to understand those connections and help the sector navigate risk in a more informed, practical and sustainable way,” said Wiese.
He said the women recognised through the competition bring insight and experience that can help the broader industry better understand how the sector is changing. “The women being celebrated here are helping the sector connect the dots between innovation and implementation, between risk and resilience and between commercial sustainability and community impact. Their work gives the industry a richer view of what agriculture needs now and what it will need next.”
This is in line with the insurer’s shared value approach: doing business in a way that creates meaningful impact for clients, partners and communities, while strengthening the sectors in which it operates.
Terryn Palani, Chief People Officer at Hollard, said the agricultural sector understands that nothing of value grows overnight. “Every field begins with someone preparing the soil, planting a seed, protecting something fragile and trusting that the seed which cannot be seen yet, will one day blossom into thriving vegetation. If we want to see more women leading the agriculture sector tomorrow, we have to cultivate them today,” said Palani.
The Women’s Voice in Agriculture finalists were selected by an independent panel of adjudicators from thousands of entries. The entrants represented a broad spectrum of agricultural subsectors, ranging from commercial livestock farming to small-scale crop production.
Johann Pretorius, Director at Future Agri Perspective Group, explained the rationale behind the initiative and its vision to support the growth of women-led agricultural enterprises and initiatives.
“When I conceptualised the awards, I looked for like-minded organisations like Hollard who share my values of support the agricultural sector,” Pretorius said. “Our partnership with Hollard was a meeting of minds and represented shared synergies between parties that seek to foster the development of the agricultural ecosystem.”
An independent panel of adjudicators selected the top five finalists which were:
- Grietha Van Rensburg who presented on: Rural safety and livestock theft;
- Boniswa Kuhle Dlamini who presented on: Farmer development;
- Christel Basson who presented on: Advocacy for rural development;
- Carla Myburgh who presented on: Leading the future of agriculture; and
- Petru Fourie who represented on: The invisible link (animal feed).
Petru Fourie was the third-place winner, followed by Christel Basson as the runner-up and Carla Myburgh as the overall winner. In accepting the accolade, Myburgh encouraged women entrepreneurs across the agricultural sector to use their influence to drive meaningful change.
“For my part, I intend to do exactly that. I will continue to champion women’s inclusion and empowerment in agriculture while keeping my feet on the ground and my eyes on the horizon,” said Myburgh.
Special recognition
The Women’s Voice in Agriculture programme also honoured several leaders with Special Recognition Awards for their exceptional contribution to the advancement of South Africa’s agricultural ecosystem. The recipients of the awards are:
- Rona Beukes – Economist, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
- Wiana Louw – General Manager, Southern African Grain Laboratory (SAGL)
- Fhumulani Ratshitanga – Chief Executive Officer, Fruit South Africa
- Dr Renee Prins – Founder and Director, CenGen, and former Extraordinary Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University
- Annelize Crosby – Head of Legal Intelligence, Agbiz
Through initiatives such as Women’s Voice in Agriculture, Hollard continues to support and celebrate the women whose leadership, innovation and determination are helping shape a stronger and more sustainable future for South African agriculture.
