South AfricaDespite being a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources, South Africa continues to face high unemployment, poverty and inequality.
TechnoServe’s work is closely aligned with the government’s new National Development Plan, which aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by drawing on the energies of the people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing state capacity and promoting leadership and partnerships.
TechnoServe's vision is to help generate sustainable growth across the country and to make the benefits and opportunities of economic growth accessible to everyone. TechnoServe is working with smallholder farmers to build competitive farms and gain access to formal markets and financial services. We are also working with entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors to help grow successful businesses that generate jobs and income in their communities.
The Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness Technical Assistance Facility (CASA TAF) will partner with investors to assess and demonstrate how inclusive technical assistance can strengthen the commercial viability and development impact of agribusinesses that source from smallholders.
TechnoServe, in partnership with Kellogg’s Company, launched a program in 2015 to improve smallholder livelihoods in the Lambasi area of the Eastern Cape Province, which has the highest poverty levels in the country.
In 2012, TechnoServe and Massmart Walmart launched a direct farm program which aims to put locally produced small-scale farmers’ produce on the shelves of Massmart. TechnoServe’s role involves training, mentoring, technical assistance and establishing links to both finance and retail markets for the farmers.
In 2013, TechnoServe launched a program to improve the scalability and sustainability of our existing agricultural value chain programs in South Africa.
This initiative offers a unique approach to supporting young entrepreneurs by creating several Box Shop stores in South African townships. This effort will support 240 young entrepreneurs to bring their products to store shelves and encourage more support for buying and building local brands.
TechnoServe is collaborating with Anglo American on providing enterprise development training to youth in response to South Africa's national priority of reducing unemployment and poverty.
TechnoServe serves as the manager of the Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), which supports the African Agriculture Fund, a private equity fund, to address food security challenges across Africa. TAF provided technical assistance to small and growing businesses (SGBs) invested in by the African Agriculture Fund, and improved linkages between enterprises and smallholder outgrowers.
The Accelerating Women Entrepreneurs in South African Metros (AWESAM) program aims to increase the economic participation of urban women and youth in the South African economy by converting subsistence-based businesses into high-growth and competitive ventures.
Read the 2021 TechnoServe Annual Report in English, French, or Spanish in the PDFs on this page. You can find Portuguese here.
Abstract: The 500 million smallholder farmers worldwide represent both a key supplier base and a market for firms, and advances are being made on how to integrate this segment of farmers into formal value chains. CASA TAF’s second annual learning paper, Sourcing from Smallholders: Complex Challenge or Commercial Opportunity? Perspectives…
