Introducing Buhle Farmer’s Academy
Many thousands of new farmers in South Africa need the skills or support necessary to grow a sustainable farming business. Buhle Farmers’ Academy is a non-profit organisation that trains, mentors, and supports these new farmers.
We offer holistic courses covering all the farming and management skills that new farmers need (see Programme section for more detail), and trainees come from all over the country to learn at our campus near Delmas, Mpumalanga. Our farmer support officers mentor as many of our graduates as possible, and we manage several programmes providing financial support to some of our most promising alumni.
Since we opened our doors in the year 2000 we have grown from strength to strength, and have now trained over 7,000 emerging farmers – half of them women and 65% of them youth – in vegetable, crops, poultry, livestock production, and mixed farming. Even better, about 14,000 jobs have been created due to Buhle, based on the assumption that for every new farmer established at least one additional job is created.
Our Mission
Buhle’s mission is to train and support new farmers from across South Africa to run farming businesses that are both profitable and sustainable. The effect is that we are helping to alleviate poverty by creating jobs while helping to ensure food security.
Our People
Our staff is the people who make it all happen, and behind us is the highest authority of our organisation, the Board of Trustees of the Food Health Hope Foundation. The Board oversees our vision, mission, and activities, donating their time, knowledge, and experience to help grow and guide our organisation.
Our Partners
We are extremely grateful for our partners, who share our dream of empowering new farmers – and enable us to make this dream a reality.