DURBAN - Coca Cola Beverages South Africa’s (CCBSA) agricultural development initiative, through their Mintirho Foundation, has created over 1 500 jobs in the Agricultural sector, the foundation announced recently.
Managing director at CCBSA, Velaphi Ratshefola said the foundation, which was launched in 2018 has successfully disbursed R343.2 million to support 26 beneficiaries that have created much-needed employment in rural communities.
“Over 1 540 new jobs have been created, 57% of these employees are black women, who are often the backbone of these communities,” Ratshefola said.
He added that among the beneficiaries, 10 are women-owned agricultural enterprises who received funding to the tune of R98.2m to support a wide range of their growth and expansion initiatives.
“These achievements demonstrate that with targeted support, the private sector, including CCBSA can significantly contribute to the creation of a more transformed and inclusive agricultural sector,” Ratshefola said.
Ratshefola added: “With the right support, women, youth, and black farmers can meaningfully participate in high-value agriculture and sophisticated value chains, both locally and internationally.”
He said the agriculture development fund has supported three agricultural support service enterprises and through its flexible funding and operational support, six of its beneficiaries have diversified their operations to also focus on producing high-income crops such as macadamia nuts, citrus, and pome fruit.
Ratshefola added that the foundation supports a wide range of black agricultural entrepreneurs, including sugar cane farmers.
“Notwithstanding the challenges faced by South Africa’s sugar industry, CCBSA has been encouraged by the resilience and many success stories of the Mintirho Foundation Trust’s sugar cane beneficiaries,” he said.
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