AGRICULTURE & LAND REFORM Agriculture and land reform as a means to empower women

with fewer people in the office, companies will recalibrate the amount of space they need. As a consequence, the reduced demand for office space will reduce the building market value, which is dependent on leasing revenue. Repurposing buildings may be the best viable option for some landlords if they are in the position to do so,” notes Munro Kieswetter.

“There has been a lot of talk about off-grid buildings, but these remain very expensive and it’s not always possible to go off the grid.”

“‘Semigration’ trends, however, are looking up. Recent events appear to have played into the hands of the Western Cape Province, setting it up for future economic growth and prosperity. The WCP’s ability to attract ‘semigrant’ skills and purchasing power crucial for economic and growth, has recently been enhanced and rental and sales are increasing,” adds Munro Kieswetter.

“Interest still remains much lower than it was

When you are a woman in most industries and sectors, you tend to work twice as hard as your male counterparts to prove that you are capable.

in the 1990’s (25%). However, a property always remains a good investment and with the more people working remotely from home, the need is still there. You will always have the capital growth.”

The property sector as an enabling platform for change

The estate agent board was established to protect the public against fraudulent estate agents. The EAAB is also a supervisory body of the estate agency profession and responsible for preventing, identifying and reporting money laundering and terrorist financing activities in the estate agent sector.

“There is however a lack of transparency of how fees paid by real estate agencies are used. Increased transparency is needed to help avoid corrupt practices. If we eliminate the incompetency of certain bodies, this will allow better service to the public. If we eliminate corrupt practices from both the government and private sector, The money in PPRA kitty could be used to build low-cost homes, houses and flats – impacting positive change for South Africans,” says Munro Kieswetter.

Being a woman in the property sector

“When you are a woman in most industries and sectors, you tend to work twice as hard as your male counterparts to prove that you are capable. The real estate companies are mainly male dominated. You need to stay focused, stay on top of latest trends and try and refrain from getting emotional when making decisions,” advises Munro Kieswetter.

“There are many opportunities for women in the property industry, from interns, full status agents, and principals, to trainees and developers in the rentals, sales, commercial and residential sectors. I would advise many more women to claim their spot in the property sector, and to be unafraid of diversifying – I firmly believe that in today’s uncertain times you must not have all your eggs in one basket,” concludes Munro Kieswetter. 

FARM FOR SALE

This extraordinary 9.2-hectare property is situated in the heart of Kliprivier and has easy access to the R59. The property features a farmhouse and a two-bedroom cottage.

PROPERTY FEATURES

INTERIOR EXTERIOR

Bedrooms 6 Bathrooms 4

Carports / Parkings 2 Security Yes Kitchen 1 Flatlet 1 Reception Rooms 3 Domestic Accommodation 1 Studies 1 Views Yes

SIZE: 90,000M2 EXTRAS: Central A/C & Heating, Build-in Wardrobes, Covered Parking, Security.

The property has two large barns, stables, paddocks, reservoir, two boreholes, storage and staff accommodation. There is also an irrigation system, and the farm is fully fenced.

An ideal property for a business or farming opportunity. Develop a guesthouse, truck stop, wedding venue or use the farmland and outbuilding for business.

www.realaboutrealty.com

R5,995,000

Realty Agents: Henck Conrey l +27 74 179 5386 Richard Opperman l +27 72 570 2940 Lebogang Tsokoe l +27 71 583 8663

The Klipriver Business Park is considered to be the new major growth node of Gauteng. It covers the entire R59/R550 interchange and is accessible to all major road networks (N1 and N3) and rail network.

The business park also assures potential tenants that no compromise will be taken on the high-quality security standards in place, which will encompass onsite security, as well as an adjacent police station and full access control and perimeter security.

Oakwood Properties, consulting property managers to Basil Read, will be responsible for the management of Klipriver Business Park. Competitively priced housing opportunities for employees will soon be available nearby at a large-scale planned development called Savanna City, of which Basil Read Developments and Old Mutual are 50/50 development partners.

Bordering on the business node are reputable corporate neighbours, including Heineken, BSI Steel, Crystal Pack, Kwikspace, Nampac and Everite. The Klipriver Business Park node will create a vibrant working node with excellent access to all major southern suburb areas of Johannesburg, including Meyerton, Vanderbylpark and the Eye of Africa.

Agriculture and land reform as a means to empower women

Agriculture plays an important role in the process of economic development and can contribute significantly to household food security. It is an engine of growth and poverty reduction in nations in which it is the poor's primary employment, according to the international development community.

By Moses Rannditsheni, Director: Media & External Communications, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

However, many developing countries' agricultural sectors are underperforming, in part because women, who play critical roles in agriculture and the rural economy as farmers, labourers and entrepreneurs, nearly always confront greater barriers to productive resources than men. National governments and the international community will be better able to fulfil their goals for agricultural development, economic growth and food security if they build on women's contributions and take steps to reduce these obstacles.

An increasing amount of research suggests that empowering women can result in economic gains for women, their families and their communities (Doss, 2021). Approximately four-fifths (79.7%) of South African households that were involved in agriculture were involved in an attempt to secure an additional source of food (StatsSA, 2021).

Sustainable farming as an entry point towards becoming commercial farmers

Sustainable farming is a broad term which refers to farming methods that will also nurture society, the environment and the economy. It is an alternative to mainstream, industrialised agricultural practices. Sustainable farmers seek to support community health and well-being and to work with nature, while still being profitable businesses.

Women make essential contributions to the agricultural, rural economies and the environment in all developing countries. Rural women, especially, often manage complex households and pursue multiple livelihood strategies. Some of these household activities include producing agricultural crops, tending animals, processing and preparing food, working for wages in agricultural or other rural enterprises, collecting water, engaging in trade and marketing, caring for family members and maintaining their homes.

A number of these activities may not be defined as economically active employment; however, they are essential to the wellbeing of rural households (Doss, 2021). Sustainable agriculture, therefore, exists within both the commercial, subsistence and small-scale farming.

What are the key challenges hindering women’s progression into the commercial agricultural sector?

In much of the world, the face of farming is female, yet women come up against various barriers that limit their full potential as farmers.

Gender inequality in the agricultural sector is effectively depriving the industry of the benefits that come from women participating equally, including food security, job creation and income generation.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation (UN), challenges facing women include access to land, limited access to technological advances and market opportunities, and the lack of infrastructure. The World Economic Forum

argued that, if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they would increase the yields of farms by 20% to 30% and reduce hunger by up to 17%.

The FAO report further indicates that approximately 820 million people worldwide, who are currently undernourished, live in developing countries, the same places where women are key to food production. Therefore, giving females access to the same resources and education as males could increase food production by women by up to 30%, potentially eliminating hunger for 150 million people.

Abolishing the following gender-specific barriers in farming, would not only empower women to achieve their highest economic potential, but it could also help feed a hungry world: • Expand women’s access to land and finance: Providing women with greater access to land, finance and production inputs is crucial to closing the productivity gap between men and women. • Link women to agricultural value chains:

When women are linked to agricultural value chains from production all the way to processing and marketing, they help make traditional farming more productive and commercially viable. Inclusive value chains also offer work opportunities for other people off the farm. • Improve rural women’s access to training and information: Knowledge of farming techniques is crucial to productivity; however, women farmers have inadequate access to agricultural extension and training services. It is also important that training and agricultural technologies are accessible and adapted to women’s needs and constraints.

What are the opportunities for women in the agricultural sector?

How can private businesses assist?

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development strives to make basic infrastructure available to farmers, such as fencing, boreholes and basic input support. The main concern for farmers currently is rural infrastructure, especially rural roads, both on and off farms.

The department is undertaking robust engagements to see how best this can be addressed, working closely with farmers and other stakeholders to ensure this is fixed.

The land reform programme, which is crucial in agricultural support, continues to intentionally aim at including the most important groups of society, which are women and youth. The department is also exploring arrangements for communal land as this could be a process that enables it to unlock investment in rural communities, increase market access opportunities and increase production in these areas.

The funding mechanisms that are available to farmers and designated groups are the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Ilima/Letsema and Land Development Support. The department has developed a blended finance instrument working with development finance institutions and private banks.

From 2017 to date, 62 336 farmers were trained, of which 32 020 (51.4%) were women. The breakdown is as follows:

Type of training programme Aggregate total Women supported

Experiential Training, Internship and Professional Development Programme 1 032 617 (59,8%) External Bursary Scheme 1 817 1 010 (57,5%) Farmer training (CASP) 58 458 29 824 (51%) Graduates Placement Programme (CASP) for 2018–2020 1 029 569 (55,3%)

Private businesses can provide support by: • organising women to increase their bargaining power and collective strength and benefit from private and public supportive programmes; • enabling access to social services for women and their families; • building women’s capacity by facilitating their access to education, technology, knowledge and information; and • facilitating capital formation through asset ownership and access to financial services.

How does legislation assist in driving women empowerment within the sector?

South Africa has an extensive history of gender discrimination, which continues to be evident in the prevailing societal echelons where women are relegated to the traditional subordinated roles.

Women also remain the victims of the gender pay gap that continues to rise, consequently seeing them being paid less than their male counterparts. Although this challenge has been experienced across the globe, it is being addressed by policymakers and the business society needs to address it urgently because it is discriminatory and unsustainable.

The Constitution of South Africa refers to the need for transformation to address the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The Bill of Rights in Chapter 2 Section 9 (3) further consolidates fundamental human rights and outlaws discrimination based on several grounds, including gender, age, disability, location and race.

The economic inclusion of women, youth and persons with disabilities has become so dire in the country owing to the broadening inequalities typified by entrenched patriarchy and other forms of