Agriculture remains one of South Africa’s most strategically important sectors. But to future-proof it, we need to change the story young people hear about farm work and match that with real pathways into modern, tech-enabled roles. More than compliance, this is about securing food systems, rural livelihoods, and export competitiveness by building a larger, more intelligent talent pipeline.
“Too many young people still picture agriculture as low-skilled manual work,” says Sandra Pretorius, General Manager at Afri Training Institute (ATI). “On the ground, the work has changed with soil analysis, sensor-driven irrigation, quality data, biosecurity, and cold-chain logistics becoming an integral part of the process. These are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines applied to living systems. If we show that clearly, we will attract the problem-solvers this sector needs.”
What the sector needs now
South African Agri producers operate under pressure. They must mitigate water scarcity, disease management, and infrastructure constraints while competing globally. The answer is a skills mix that combines agronomy and soil science, agricultural engineering and mechanisation, data analysis and geospatial skills, food science and post-harvest technology, and quality and safety practices. Young professionals also need work-ready behaviours, such as teamwork, communication, resilience, and the ability to solve problems in messy, real-world conditions.
“STEM is the engine, but behaviour is the gearbox. At ATI, we design training that blends both. So, what is learned in the classroom is applied, tested, and refined in real production settings,” says Pretorius.
Van Loveren’s plant production pathway
A current ATI partnership with Van Loveren Family Vineyards demonstrates how targeted, work-integrated learning can develop talent while creating opportunities. The programme centres on the National Certificate: Plant Production (NQF Level 3). This is a 12-month, credit-bearing learnership that equips learners to supervise plant husbandry, make sound resource decisions, and uphold quality, safety, and hygiene standards. Content is customised to production realities and delivered through on-site practice, simulations, and coaching.
In year one, four learners (including youth with disabilities) were recruited with support from a specialist recruitment partner and hosted at a special-needs school with productive plots. Each learner prepared a piece of land, tested soil, selected suitable crops, and worked through planting, pest monitoring and harvesting cycles that feed into the local supply chain. Portfolios are currently being moderated and verified, and the second cohort has begun, with participants placed directly on a farm in Philippi, Cape Town, to strengthen their workplace absorption. Entrepreneurship modules (budgeting, pricing, routes to market) are included so learners can pursue either employment or micro-enterprise.
Van Loveren says the approach is already delivering value.
“We wanted a programme that develops real capability, not just theory,” says Anchané Koekemoer, HR Manager at Van Loveren. “The plant-production learnership gives learners time in the soil, on the rows, and in the data. It provides our operations with motivated, better-prepared people. We see a future in which every farm in our network sponsors at least one learner. That is how you build long-term skills.”
Why this works
Three elements are essential in this programme:
- Context: Training is delivered where work happens, aligned to the crop mix, climate, and compliance requirements of the site.
- Continuity: Cohorts repeat annually, compounding capability and peer learning.
- Clear outcomes: Learners exit with a recognised qualification, a work record, and either a line of sight to absorption or the entrepreneurial basics to trade legally and safely.
For growers, this model supports quality, yield, and sustainability goals through better soil decisions and pest management, as well as stronger data discipline and team leadership. For communities, it creates visible, local pathways into dignified work.
A sector-wide call to action
“We need more employers to sponsor a learner, more schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions (TVETs) to contextualise STEM through agriculture, and more partnerships that run training onsite rather than far from where work and life happen. If we do that, we will grow the next generation of supervisors, technologists, and farm entrepreneurs,” concludes Pretorius.
