NWU Partnership Seeks to Unlock Finance and Markets for Emerging Farmers

NWU Partnership Seeks to Unlock Finance and Markets for Emerging Farmers. North-West University (NWU), Community Venture Capital (CVC) and NWU Enterprises (NWUE) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening agricultural value chains and expanding economic opportunities for smallholder farmers, emerging agribusinesses and rural enterprises.

The agreement, signed on 7 August, establishes a framework for collaboration in South Africa and across the African region. Its areas of focus include agricultural finance, market access, logistics, enterprise development and skills transfer.

One of the partnership’s priorities is to explore financing solutions for smallholder farmers and emerging agricultural businesses. The organisations will consider blended finance models, public-private partnerships and institutional funding as potential ways to mobilise investment capital.

The agreement also seeks to support community-based producers and cooperatives in accessing mainstream supply chains. This includes assistance with product aggregation, certification and quality assurance needed to meet retail and export standards.

Logistics is another area covered by the partnership. The organisations will collaborate on cost-effective logistics, warehousing and cold-chain solutions aimed at improving the movement of agricultural products from farms to markets. They will also explore co-investment opportunities in logistics infrastructure in rural and agricultural hubs.

Enterprise and supplier development programmes will target women, young people and rural agricultural entrepreneurs. The initiatives are expected to include technical training, business mentorship and skills transfer in areas such as agribusiness management and innovation.

NWU chancellor and Community Investment Holdings founder and group chairperson Dr Anna Mokgokong said universities should play an active role in the communities they serve. She stressed that the partnership’s success would ultimately depend on implementation.

“These signatures and documents must not gather dust,” Mokgokong said.

Phenyo Mogamisi, CEO of CIH Venture Capital, said the collaboration was intended to better align funding, research and commercialisation in support of food security and economic participation.

Under the proposed framework, NWU will lead research, skills development and quality assurance, while NWU Enterprises will focus on project preparation, management and market access. CIH will support efforts to mobilise private-sector funding and strengthen logistics and agro-processing capacity.

Duncan Raftesath, CEO of NWU Enterprises, said the partnership would bring together research, training, consulting and project management to address practical challenges.

NWU principal and vice-chancellor Professor Bismark Tyobeka said the university’s farms could serve as practical learning environments for students and researchers.

The partnership is also expected to explore opportunities beyond agriculture, including water and sanitation, energy, healthcare, housing, digitisation, logistics, mining, engineering and tourism.

Representatives from Sanlam, Absa, the Industrial Development Corporation, the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency and Gauteng Enterprise Propeller attended the signing.