Tzaneen learners complete pioneering programme
Lunghi Mashaba and Ricardo Tivana, both from Mahwahwa High School, make history as the first to complete the Citrus Secondary Programme.
HOEDSPRUIT – Two Gr 11 learners from Limpopo have made history as the first in the province to complete the pioneering Citrus Secondary Programme, a groundbreaking initiative designed to equip high school learners with practical agricultural skills and a recognised plant production qualification.
Lunghi Mashaba and Ricardo Tivana, both from Mahwahwa High School in Tzaneen, were recently honoured for completing the two-year programme. Their achievement marks a major milestone for the Citrus Academy, a subsidiary of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA), which launched the programme to bridge the gap between school education and agricultural careers.
“South Africa is the world’s second-largest citrus exporter, and nearly half of our citrus is grown right here in Limpopo,” said Jacomien de Klerk, general manager of the Citrus Academy. “This programme increases the employability of learners and gives them a solid foundation to pursue careers in agriculture.”
The Citrus Secondary Programme is fully aligned with the national curriculum and can be integrated into the Agricultural Management Practices subject or offered as an after-school activity. Learners explore modules ranging from pest management and irrigation to enterprise planning and financial literacy, gaining not only theoretical knowledge but also practical exposure to the citrus value chain.
Sive Silo, project manager at the Citrus Academy, praised the learners’ dedication:
“We know this will be the first of many success stories. The citrus industry offers a range of career paths, from farm management to scientific research, export logistics, and marketing. The sky is the limit.”
Now in its second year, the Citrus Secondary Programme has grown to 647 learners in 15 citrus-producing schools across the country. With ambitions to expand even further, the Citrus Academy hopes to empower more learners like Mashaba and Tivana to step confidently into South Africa’s vibrant agricultural sector.
As the province with the highest citrus output, Limpopo is poised to benefit from the programme’s long-term impact, developing a new generation of skilled and passionate agricultural professionals.
