LIMPOPO – Vegetable farmer Ntwanano Mabunda from Ahitirheni Mqekwa in Daniel Rababalela village, outside Giyani, says winning a R3 000 voucher at the recent Agri 5 Expo has encouraged him to take bold steps toward professionalising his agri business.

The expo, held recently in Tzaneen, brought together emerging farmers, suppliers, agricultural experts, and development partners from across Limpopo.

Confidence boosted by unexpected recognition

For Mabunda, the award was more than a token of recognition. “When they called my name, I honestly could not believe it,” he said. “I came to the expo hoping to learn and meet other farmers, but I never expected to walk away with a prize. It gave me so much confidence in what I’m doing.”

The young farmer grows a variety of vegetables, including spinach, green peppers, and tomatoes, on his family’s land together with his family. Though his operation is small, he has ambitions to expand and start supplying local shops. He believes the expo prize will help fast-track those plans.

Investing in agricultural training at UL

Mabunda intends to use part of the voucher to register for a Certificate of Agriculture (COA) at the University of Limpopo.

“I want to study so I can farm the right way,” he explained. “There are things you learn on the field, but there are also things you can only learn in a classroom. I want to understand soil requirements, proper planning, record keeping, all those things commercial farmers talk about.”

He said the decision to pursue formal training is driven by his desire to run a professional, sustainable operation.

“My dream is not just to plant vegetables. My dream is to run a farm that grows every year, a farm that can employ people and supply the market consistently,” he said.

Compliance barriers faced by rural farmers

Another portion of his prize money will go toward purchasing a barcode from GS1 South Africa, a move he says is essential for expanding into the retail sector.

“A barcode might look like something small, but for us farmers, it is a big step,” Mabunda said. “Shops will not take your product if it is not properly labelled. Getting that barcode means my vegetables can finally enter formal stores.”

He explained that many small-scale farmers in rural areas often lose out on opportunities because they lack the basic compliance tools required by retailers.

“Sometimes the challenge is not the quality of the product, it is the paperwork,” he said. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Your spinach is good, but we can’t take it without the proper codes.’ So, I knew I needed to fix that.”

Agri 5 Expo equips emerging growers

Organisers of the Agri 5 Expo say stories like Mabunda’s are a sign that emerging farmers are ready to embrace market standards and modern production practices. The expo showcased equipment, training programmes, and financial services aimed at helping farmers overcome barriers to growth.

For Mabunda, the journey ahead still comes with challenges, but he says the expo experience has renewed his determination.

“This prize showed me that I am on the right path,” he said. “It’s not a big amount, but what matters is what you do with it. I’m going to make sure it changes my business.”

As he prepares for his COA studies and the launch of properly labelled produce, Mabunda hopes his story motivates other young farmers.

“We must start with what we have,” he said. “If we don’t invest in ourselves, nobody will do it for us.”