Although most rural parts of the country are endowed with vast tracts of arable land, it often lies fallow and is not translating to tangible economic assets for communities.
But this will change soon should a plan by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) materialise.
The government entity, which is an umbrella body of all municipalities across the country, has convened a National Rural Development Indaba to discuss how villages can be turned into thriving areas for agricultural trade and job creation.
The indaba, which brings together local government experts, farming organisations and traditional leaders, gets under way on Thursday in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal.
“The purpose of the National Rural Development Indaba is to create a platform of engagement between government, business, citizens and other stakeholders on how to address the pressing challenges of employment, poverty and intergenerational inequality,” said Salga in a statement.
Recently appointed Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Thembi Nkadimeng, Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza, and KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube are expected to address the indaba.
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