The AgriVuno Women In Agri Accelerator Programme continues to serve as a vital catalyst for transformation across all provinces in South Africa. It is designed to equip women farmers with critical skills including business model design, financial management, compliance and soil health, among others. The initiative ensures that women-owned agricultural enterprises are built to run as profitable, future-proof businesses. The culmination of the programme is the official pitching competition and awards ceremony hosted in Sandton annually. This event brings together industry leaders, mentors, private and public sector officials, and emerging agricultural changemakers to recognize the resilience, innovation, and commercial success of women reshaping the country’s agricultural landscape.

​Setting the Stage: Welcoming Key Insights

​Proceedings commenced with a welcoming address delivered by Mr Kwazini Zulu, the board chair of AgriVuno as well as one of the facilitators focusing on the leadership sessions, establishing an engaging foundation for the day’s events. The programme was further underscored by virtual remarks from the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Jane Sithole, who shared an encouraging message in support of the initiative, demonstrating vital backing from government leadership. Subsequently, attendees gained valuable industry insights during a comprehensive series of engagements, which included keynote addresses delivered by representatives from two key divisions of Standard Bank: Ms Lesiba Matladi representing Enterprise Supplier Development (ESD), and Esethu Ntwenadala representing Agribusiness. Their addresses highlighted the critical role of financial backing and strategic partnerships offering structural support in scaling women-owned enterprises. Furthermore, the speakers strongly emphasized how businesses need to utilize the knowledge gained from the program to grow their operations, rather than hopping from one program to the next with the false hope of chasing grant money that they could instead be generating within their own businesses.

​Inspiring Dialogue: The Panel Discussion

​A core highlight of the ceremony was a dynamic panel discussion exploring the journey of growth and resilience with ecosystem support for female farmers, expertly moderated by Xolela Madlanga. The discussion featured valuable perspectives from program alumni Buyiswa Twala and Keatlegile Mnguni. Buyiswa shared that AgriVuno was the first program to believe in her innovative idea of turning waste into fertilizer and help her formalize it, while Keatlegile attested to how Standard Bank had given her a life-changing opportunity to travel to China for a summit on exporting. They were joined by Ncebakazi Lutuli, Senior Manager in Agribusiness at Standard Bank, who provided deep financial and institutional perspectives on the sector. Rounding out the panel was cohort facilitator Xoliswa Moraka, who offered practical business advice grounded in business model design and shared key lessons she has learned firsthand from working with the participating businesses.

​Celebrating Excellence: The Top 5 Winners

​Excitement reached its peak with the announcement of the highly competitive top 5 winners of Cohort 3. Demonstrating exceptional business acumen, Sbongile Mzuzwana from Thobituki Enterprises impressed the judges and secured 1^st place. Operating out of Bloemfontein in the Free State, Thobituki Enterprises is a well-established family-run mixed livestock farm that has been in existence for 17 years. Run by four directors who all live and work directly on the farm, the enterprise produces Bonsmara cattle, Charolais cattle, mixed sheep, goats, horses, and chickens. While their large stock serves as the primary source of income, their small stock functions as vital business cash flow, marketed successfully through local auctions (Tobie Myburgh and Vleissentraal), abattoirs (JustBeef), direct to other farmers, and to final consumers.

​As the 1^st place winner, Mzuzwana secured a cash prize of R60 000, alongside targeted mentorship and guidance to scale her operations. 

​The ceremony additionally recognized the remarkable achievements of the winners, with Nokuphila Gumede securing 2^nd place with a prize of R50 000, Riah Maseko claiming 3^rd place with R40 000, Zaza Letsholo taking 4^th place with R30 000, and Masello Mokhoro rounding out the group in 5^th place with R20 000. The event also extended appreciation to additional sponsors who contributed gifts for the day, including Bramley alongside alumni-founded enterprises Silas and Co and Agrinouri. 

​With the awards concluded, strategic focus now shifts toward how trailblazers like Mzuzwana and her fellow cohort members will leverage their newfound backing, funding, and mentorship to expand market access, create local employment, and drive sustainable food security.

Reflecting on the milestone, Masabata Zulu, the founder expressed deep appreciation for the collective ecosystem behind the success, thanking sponsors such as Seed2Shirt, Standard Bank, Silas and Co, Bramley, AgriNouri, and Take a Bite for investing in the future of farmers. Special acknowledgement was also given to media partners Sunday World, Bosslane Magazine, and Young Farmer for helping change the narrative around women in agriculture, as well as to the dedicated facilitators who walked alongside the participants throughout the 16-week accelerator programme. Concluding with a rallying call, the founder encouraged graduates and stakeholders to “continue building an agricultural sector where collaboration is stronger than competition, and where every woman farmer has the chance to realise her full potential.”