Woolworths Expands Living Soils Programme to Gauteng to Train the Next Generation of Farmers
Woolworths Expands Living Soils Programme to Gauteng to Train the Next Generation of Farmers. Woolworths has expanded its Living Soils Community Learning Farm programme to Gauteng through a new partnership with fresh produce supplier HarvestFresh, creating additional opportunities for agriculture students to gain practical farming experience and prepare for careers in the sector.
The new training facility, located on HarvestFresh’s farm in Meyerton, builds on the Living Soils programme first established seven years ago in Stellenbosch through a partnership between Woolworths, Spier and the Sustainability Institute.
The initiative focuses on equipping final-year agriculture students with hands-on experience in regenerative farming while exposing them to the broader fresh produce value chain.
HarvestFresh has allocated three hectares of land for the Gauteng learning farm, where interns will receive practical training over a 12-month programme. In addition to field-based farming experience, participants will learn about food safety management, quality assurance, traceability, distribution and retail operations.
The curriculum combines classroom learning, leadership development and technical agricultural training with practical exposure to HarvestFresh’s commercial nursery, hydroponic operations, packhouse facilities and high-care processing facility that prepares Woolworths salad and diced vegetable products.
According to Woolworths, the Gauteng expansion has enrolled 17 interns, including 10 young Black women. Together with the Stellenbosch programme, the Living Soils initiative now has 37 interns, compared with 20 enrolled the previous year.
The expansion comes against the backdrop of South Africa’s youth unemployment challenge. Statistics South Africa’s first-quarter 2026 employment data showed an unemployment rate of 60.9% among people aged 15 to 24, while the rate for those aged 25 to 34 stood at 40.6%.
Joy Lange, General Manager of Woolworths’ Community Inclusive Justice Institute, which oversees the Living Soils initiative, said the programme aims to develop practical farming skills while strengthening local food systems.
She said the expansion into Gauteng represents an important milestone and reflects the programme’s objective of creating a model that can be replicated in other communities while equipping young farmers, particularly women, with skills in regenerative agriculture.
Lange added that the initiative complements Woolworths’ Farming for the Future programme, which promotes sustainable farming practices focused on soil health, biodiversity, responsible resource management and long-term environmental sustainability.
HarvestFresh Managing Director George Maxted said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to sustainable agriculture and investing in future farming talent.
He said supporting programmes that combine regenerative farming methods with technical training and employment pathways can contribute to stronger communities and a more resilient agricultural sector.
The programme has already produced graduates who have moved into agricultural careers. One of them, Mandla Ntshane, now serves as a Production Manager at Wasi Berries in Hoedspruit after completing his internship through the Stellenbosch-based Living Soils programme.
