On Thursday, 11 June 2026, Sasol through the Bridge to Work (BtW) programme hosted a Farmers’ Day in Secunda. The event was focused on equipping smallholder farmers with the latest trends, linkages to markets, buyers and financiers that are critical to transforming their business into sustainable operations.
Through knowledge sharing sessions, supplier demonstrations, and direct engagement operators across the farming value chain, Farmers’ Day provided a solution-oriented platform that is geared to supporting the next generation of commercial farmers.
Emerging farmers attending the event included former Bridge to Work trainees who have established enterprises in poultry, livestock and crop farming. Delivered through Iphepe programme, the Bridge to Work farming stream empowers local community members with the skills and training needed to establish sustainable, income-generating agricultural enterprises.
“Farmers’ Day reflects our commitment to the empowerment of our local communities. Empowering them with knowledge and linking them to strategic partnerships needed to transform their farming operations into viable and sustainable businesses. Our Bridge to Work programme has created a diverse pool of farmers who are well equipped with the necessary skills to make a meaningful impact in this strategic sector of the economy,” said Gao Mothoagae, Vice President: Corporate Social Investment and Sasol Foundation.
Hosted during Youth Month, Farmers’ Day is another demonstration of Sasol’s commitment to empowering communities, particularly the youth with skills that enable them to actively participate in the economy and contribute to job creation.
To date, the Iphepe programme has trained at least 311 farmers across Mpumalanga, the Free State, and Ekandustria, with Mpumalanga hosting the largest concentration of active farmers. The programme is targeted primarily at unemployed youth including women.
Some of the exhibiting partners that took part in the event included the Land Bank, Potatoes SA, TWK Agri, Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, Agricultural Development Agency, Rainbow Chicken, Pannar, Farmers Weekly, Agrisure, and Epol. Visit https://society.sasol.com/bridge-to-work/ to learn more about the programme.