Beefmaster Group

June, also known as Youth Month, is a time to reflect on empowering young people and their role in shaping the future of South Africa’s agricultural sector and beyond.

the Unemployed Agricultural Graduates Programme – a programme offered by Beefmaster Group in partnership with the Department of Agriculture – provides young agricultural graduates with two years of workplace exposure and skills development.

In 2024, Beefmaster hosted 11 graduates across Kimberley and Christiana, with three securing permanent employment after completing the programme. A new cohort of 10 graduates is now being hosted between 2026 and 2028.

Meet two young professionals employed through the programme: 28-year-old Siphosethu Jacobs (SHEQ Officer) and 29-year-old Boitumelo Dapula (Administrator).

Siphosethu, who studied Entrepreneurship and Agriculture at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, says the programme opened her eyes to opportunities in the sector:

"The programme exposed me to quality assurance, food safety and compliance within the agricultural value chain - an area I had never really considered before," she says. “Agriculture is much broader than many people realise. Take time to understand the industry, learn from others and be open to new experiences. The more skills you develop, the more opportunities you create."

Born in Laxey near Kuruman in the Northern Cape, Boitumelo Dapula studied at Taung College of Agriculture, specialising in irrigation.

“My qualification focused on irrigation, but I wanted to understand how different parts of the industry work together, which I loved learning on the programme,” he says. “The industry offers many career paths. Sometimes the opportunities that shape your future are found in places you never expected."

Thank you Farmer's Weekly SA for featuring Christiana in your latest issue!

South Africa’s rural towns, including Christiana, form the backbone of our agricultural sector and are critically important local economies, and we are so glad to see that the town, its history, and its people are being recognised.

Thank you Riaan Hattingh for the great story!
Read the story here and keep a look out for the mention of Beefmaster Group 😉

https://www.farmersweekly.co.za/lifestyle/agritourism/christiana-a-community-of-hope/ =rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=christiana-a-community-of-hope

Christiana: a community of hope Members of the Christiana community in North West invited Farmer’s Weekly to visit their small agricultural town, and we were pleasantly surprised by what we found.