June 2025 — Pretoria, South Africa
On 11 June 2025, Macadamias South Africa NPC (SAMAC) hosted the highly anticipated Transformation Summit 2025 in Pretoria. The event convened industry leaders, policymakers, commercial and emerging farmers, financiers, and researchers from across the country. The summit aims to drive commitment toward advancing inclusive growth, sustainable transformation, and economic resilience within the South African agriculture and macadamia sectors.
A Strong Message from Government Leadership
One of the day’s standout moments was the keynote address delivered by the Director-General (DG) of the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Ramasodi Mooketsa. The DG affirmed government’s commitment to enabling transformation and emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving inclusive agricultural development. He acknowledged the leadership of industry bodies like SAMAC in driving measurable transformation and encouraged stakeholders to align efforts with national priorities.
Summit Highlights: Insights, Panels, and Practical Solutions
The programme featured a range of compelling presentations, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions, covering critical topics such as:
- SAMAC’s contributions and long-term vision for transformation within the macadamia sector, including strategies to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth across the value chain.
- Success stories from emerging growers leading in land reform and enterprise development.
- Export readiness and market access, including how inclusive models strengthen value chains.
- The importance of quality control and integrated pest management to ensure high-quality products and, in turn, secure higher returns at farm level.
- The critical role of partnerships and mentorship between commercial and emerging farmers to facilitate skills development and knowledge transfer.
- How blended finance models and risk-sharing facilities can unlock access.
- Steps for improving credit readiness and application success rates.
Engagement and Innovation in the Exhibition Hall
Alongside the main programme, the exhibition hall offered a space for attendees to meet directly with banks, researchers, and post-harvest experts, exploring innovative solutions for finance, data, training, quality control and sustainable farming systems. This practical component ensured that the Summit was not only informative but also empowering by equipping participants with tools, contacts, and pathways forward.
Moving from Conversation to Action
The Transformation Summit 2025 served as a critical step in SAMAC’s broader transformation strategy, reinforcing the need for collaboration across the private and public sectors.
SAMAC extends its sincere thanks to all speakers, exhibitors, government representatives, and delegates who contributed to the day’s success.
