The seed innovator’s Women’s Day celebration doubled as the informal launch of a milestone year for its South African operation.
By Maphuti Mongatane, business development manager at African Farming
Agriculture is often measured in hectares, harvests, yields and markets. But behind every successful agricultural value chain are people whose contribution doesn’t always make it into the numbers. Many of them are women. From trial plots and packhouses to procurement desks, laboratories and boardrooms, women are helping shape the way food is produced, marketed and delivered. Their contribution is becoming increasingly visible, but their importance to agriculture has never really been in doubt. It was this contribution that Hazera South Africa celebrated at a Women’s Day event held on 7 August.
The event brought together women and men from across the agricultural value chain, including growers, customers, agronomists, industry partners and employees. The gathering formed part of South Africa’s Women’s Month and had an added significance for Hazera South Africa. It also marked the informal opening of a yearlong celebration of 20 years in the South African market, two decades shaped not only by seed genetics and innovation but also by relationships with farmers and partners across the country.
Women at the heart of agriculture
“Agriculture is built on resilience, dedication and vision – qualities that women demonstrate every day,” said Corniel Louwies, general manager of Hazera South Africa, in his welcome address.
“Their leadership, expertise and determination continue to shape the future of farming and food production, not only in South Africa but also across the world. At Hazera, we are privileged to work alongside many inspiring women, customers, growers, partners, colleagues and industry leaders, whose contributions make a meaningful difference.”
According to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo, women represented roughly a third of South Africa’s approximately 960 000 primary sector agricultural workers in the first quarter of 2026. Women also own or operate an estimated one fifth of the country’s VAT-registered commercial farming units.
Also read: Beyond the chicken coop: What women are really building in South African agriculture
Across sub-Saharan Africa, the contribution is even more significant. Research released in April 2026 by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich and African Women in Agricultural Research and Development found that 76% of working women in sub-Saharan Africa are employed within agrifood systems.
These numbers tell an important story, but they do not tell the whole story. They do not capture the woman making decisions on a farm before sunrise, the agronomist walking through a trial plot, the packhouse worker ensuring quality, the entrepreneur building an agricultural business or the executive making decisions that influence an entire value chain.
They certainly do not capture the determination, knowledge and resilience required to keep agriculture moving.
Also read: Agriculture is more than farming – and that is opening doors for women and young people
From recognition to opportunity
For Louwies, recognising the contribution of women must go beyond celebration. It must also mean creating opportunities for women to grow and lead.
“As we celebrate Women’s Day, let us also reflect on the importance of creating opportunities, supporting growth and encouraging leadership for women across all areas of agriculture,” he said. “Together, we can continue building an industry where talent, passion and innovation thrive.”
Celebrating women is meaningful, but creating space for women to lead, own businesses, make decisions, innovate and influence the future of agriculture is where real progress happens.
The agricultural sector needs women not only as employees and participants but also as farmers, entrepreneurs, scientists, agronomists, executives, researchers, investors and decision-makers.
Twenty years of growing relationships
For Hazera South Africa, the conversation around the future of agriculture is closely connected to its own journey.
The company is marking two decades of operating in South Africa, a milestone built around innovation, vegetable seed genetics and, importantly, relationships with farmers.
Since establishing its presence in the country, Hazera South Africa has built relationships with more than 1 000 farmers across the commercial and emerging farming sectors. The company supplies hybrid vegetable seed genetics across 17 crop categories, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, watermelons, onions and leafy brassicas.
Its South African journey is therefore about more than seed. It is also about partnerships, innovation and the people who take those innovations from the seedbed to the farm, from the farm to the market and ultimately to the consumer.
The company has indicated that further details of its 20th-anniversary programme, including farmer stories, industry events and product milestones, will be shared throughout the remainder of 2026.
Growing the future
As Hazera South Africa marks its 20th year in the country, the milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and to consider what lies ahead.
The future of agriculture will require innovation, resilience and inclusion. It will also require recognising and investing in the people who are already contributing to the sector and creating opportunities for the next generation to participate and lead.
Hazera South Africa’s Women’s Day celebration served as a reminder that recognising women in agriculture should not be confined to a single day or month. It should be reflected in the opportunities created, the leadership encouraged and the voices given space across the agricultural value chain.
As Hazera’s 20th-anniversary year unfolds, its celebration of women offers a timely reminder that a stronger agricultural future will depend on investing in the people who are already helping to build it.
Women are not waiting to be part of agriculture’s future. They are already growing it.
Also read: Women in agriculture need to move from participation to ownership, says Kagiso Trust CEO
