JOHANNESBURG - The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries has honoured female entrepreneurs in the sector for their role in ensuring food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth.
At an event held during women's month in South Africa, the department in partnership with Total South Africa hosted the 20th annual female entrepreneur awards in Cape Town on Thursday night, where honours were given to the best female worker, subsistence producer and the top entrepreneurs in the smallholder, procession, commercial and export sectors.
The department said this year's theme -- "celebrating two decades of women’s victory in agriculture, forestry and fisheries" -- attested to its commitment to paying tribute to the efforts and contribution by women, young females and women with disabilities in the sector.
“Today, we are here to celebrate those who have worked very hard and are the beneficiaries of these awards. Through their hard work and achievements, we encourage other women to also rise up to the challenge," agriculture minister Thoko Didiza told guests at the awards.
Total South Africa corporate affairs manager Nne-Mpho Siaga said the awards were an important stepping stone towards eliminating skewed participation in these industries.
"It also brings us closer to answering the need for sustainable business practices," she said.
"At Total South Africa, every single initiative, every single show of support for women, is an expression of our commitment to creating tomorrow's legacy, today. If we give them the right tools, our women have the potential to not only tackle the industry’s challenges, but also those that we, as a nation, are currently facing.”