The R11m investment will be used to train and upskill youth at a new learning academy to be developed at fully black-owned wine farm M’Hudi. The waterwise farm has been at the centre of the water sustainability work initiated in the Bloekombos community by SOS NPO.
Werner le Roux, Kuzisa CEO, says that agriculture is a key sector in which continuous job creation and upskilling is required. “Equipping the youth in Bloekombos with essential skills in all aspects of agriculture is the next step in securing a future for the area, encouraging tourism and creating an additional income stream for the greater community.”
M’Hudi CEO Malmsey Rangaka says that the training will offer Bloekombos youths between the ages of 18 to 25 the chance to further their studies in the field of agriculture including subjects like aquaponics, agriculture, hospitality and computer science to mention a few. 100 students will be selected for the initial intake and supplied with a stipend for the duration of their skills development programme. All students who complete the programme are expected to be absorbed into work streams provided by the partnering organisations. “Our outlook for M’Hudi has long included an investment into our youth and this partnership with Kuzisa and SOS NPO has now made this a reality,” says Rangaka.
W12 will bring, amongst others, climate change activist, philanthropist and ex-governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger to South Africa as the keynote speaker for the event.
