Karabo Ntanzi
MEC Mase Manopole successfully hosted the Northern Cape Blended Finance Roadshow, at Flamingo View in Kimberley, in collaboration with the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), Land Bank, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), under the theme “Unlocking Inclusive Agricultural Development in the Northern Cape.”
Over 600 farmers from all five districts of the Northern Cape attended the roadshow, welcoming it with open arms as a gateway to unlocking financial opportunities.
The event provided a platform to raise awareness of blended finance opportunities to farmers. From improving access to affordable and sustainable finance, fostering meaningful engagement between policymakers and explore innovative financing mechanisms aimed at addressing persistent challenges in the agricultural sector.
Manopole emphasised that blended finance, combining public funding with private sector investment, was a strategic tool to bridge the agricultural financing gap. She mentioned that smallholder and emerging farmers often face barriers such as limited collateral, climate-related risks, and high production costs, making access to affordable credit difficult.
She highlighted recent achievements including, 1,000 producers who received training, 1,300 subsistence farmers were supported with garden establishment packs. According to Stats agriculture contributed R11 billion to the provincial GDP in 2023 and new jobs were created during Quarter 3 and 4 of 2024. The department plans to increase agriculture’s GDP contribution from 7% to 10%, support 60 land reform farms, train another 1,000 producers and create 750 additional jobs in the sector.
“The road to agricultural prosperity is long, but it is not out of reach. When resilience meets opportunity, transformation follows. Through blended finance, we can unlock not only funding but the full potential of the Northern Cape’s agricultural sector,” she continued.
The Roadshow ended with a call for partnership and accountability. It was also reinforced to famers that blended finance is not a handout but a collaborative investment in sustainable agricultural growth and rural economic empowerment.
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