You’ve had an inspiring journey from South Africa to working across the UK, US, and Africa. Could you start by telling us a little about your background and what first drew you to agriculture?

I was born in a township called Mamelodi in South Africa. It was created by the past apartheid South Africa where only black South Africans lived.

I was raised by my single mum, and I’d describe my beginnings as humble. My background shaped my resilience and to work very hard to get out of that situation. It also created in me the importance of creating opportunities for myself and also the people who may not always have easy access to opportunities.

When South Africa was changing to becoming democratic in the early 90s, when Mandela and everybody was being released, they “scraped off” apartheid. It meant that everybody who is South African can live everywhere, anywhere they want to. They did not have to be confined to townships and could go to any school you wanted to. Parents obviously looked for opportunities to take us to those schools, because they had better facilities, were in better places, and some were safer. So I got into an Agricultural School, which was traditionally for white people.

That’s how I got into agriculture.

What motivated you to pursue such an international academic and professional path - from Pretoria to Cambridge and beyond?

It wasn’t planned. From the beginning, I didn’t know I would end up on an international stage. What I’ve learned from my international experiences is that it’s not about collecting destinations; it’s about building bridges between countries, disciplines, institutions and people, and ensuring the knowledge we gather moves from one place to another to benefit everybody.

I completed my undergraduate studies in biotechnology at Vaal University of Technology in South Africa. My academic journey was not always straightforward, and I encountered barriers when trying to progress to postgraduate study. Those experiences encouraged me to look internationally for opportunities.

I was fortunate to receive a scholarship that enabled me to study at the University of Cambridge. After completing my studies, I returned to South Africa and later pursued a PhD in the United States with scholarship support. These experiences helped shape the international perspective I bring to my work today.

Much of your work connects directly to food security and smallholder farmers. Why is supporting smallholders so critical to Africa’s future and the world’s future?

Smallholder farmers are central to food security or food systems, particularly across Africa and most developing nations. It’s not simply about the production of food. They support rural employment, local markets and the world economic and social life in their own communities.

With that said and their importance, many are farming under extremely difficult conditions. They face climate change uncertainties, limited finance, high input costs, in some cases very weak infrastructure, post-harvest losses because they do not have the technologies or techniques, and inconsistent markets. These challenges affect food availability, nutrition, employment, and natural economic resilience.

Supporting smallholder and small scale farmers, it is actually not an act of charity. It’s an investment into more stable, productive and sustainable food systems. Because as the population grows and the climate changes we see intensifying, the world will need farmers who can produce efficiently whilst protecting the Earth as well. So they must be part of that transformation, not treated as an afterthought.

From your experience, what are the biggest barriers smallholder farmers face today - and what solutions are working best?

Most of the barriers that I can think about are outside the interconnected actually. Access to affordable finance or access to finance is a major one. Because farmers often need to invest before they can actually receive any income. They need quality seeds, fertiliser, equipment, irrigation, storage, transportation. But conventional finance products are frequently noy designed around agricultural cycles.

Knowledge and information is another challenge. Because farmers may not have timely access to weather forecasts, market prices, pest alerts or training in climate-smart practices. You get poor roads, limited cold storage and weak processing systems also mean that food can be lost after it has been sufficiently grown. 

I think the most effective solutions bring several forms of support together. Because finance alone is not enough. Training alone is not enough. Technology alone is not enough. Farmers need an ecosystem that combines suitable savings and loan products, agricultural and business training, access to inputs, market connections, local extension support and practical digital tools. It’s all connected or a combination of solutions that actually need to work together. Because one alone doesn’t solve the biggest barriers these farmers face.

You’ve worked extensively in agricultural technology and innovation - what role do you think innovation can play in transforming farmers’ livelihoods?

I've seen technology benefit farmers in South Africa, where I worked for the Technology Innovation Agency. I worked closely with farmers, and I have seen, and I still continue to see, that innovation technology can be extremely powerful. But I always emphasise that innovation alone is not simply about creating a sophisticated new device, an app, you name it. It's about solving a real problem in a way that people can use and also sustain at the same time. 

Digital tools, for example, give farmers better information about weather, markets, soil and crop health. Precision agriculture can help them use water, fertiliser, crop protection. Then we've got drones, we've got sensors, we now have artificial intelligence agents, which can support any detection of pests, diseases, and any sort of environmental stress. We've also got post-harvest technologies, which can reduce food loss, extend shelf life and help these farmers retain more of the value they have created.

But again, financial innovation is also part of it, right? 

Mobile banking and digital financial services can reach rural communities that are far from physical bank branches. And there's quite a substantial number of these small-scale farmers who are located in rural areas where they cannot easily access these structures. We need it, but again, it’s the how. It’s the training, how to use it, and also making sure that it is sustainable as well.

You’re a strong advocate for women in agriculture. Why do you believe investing in women is so transformative for communities and economies?

Women are already doing enormous work in agriculture, yet they frequently have less access than men to learn, to finance, to training, to technology, and also to decision making. They are always on the ground doing all the work. But then when it comes to making decisions that should benefit them and the agriculture system in general, they are hardly ever there. So investing in women is actually transformative because the benefits rarely stop with one individual. That's another benefit for transforming women, for empowering women, because when a woman increases her income and control over resources, she is often better able to improve her family's food security, the community's food security, pay school fees, access healthcare, and invest in the business and community.

When they're empowered, it also changes what the next generation believes is possible. And that's what I always say, as a woman it's always been my motto, is that if you're given this opportunity, run with it. And you're not only doing it for yourself as a woman child or as a girl, you're actually showing other girls to push the boundaries if you have to. You empower women, you empower girls, that are actually looking up to you as a role model. So when girls see women leading farms, businesses, research programs and agricultural institutions, they begin to imagine themselves in those roles that it's not only for men. 

So supporting women is therefore not simply a gender initiative. We're not being a feminist, as other people would say. In my field, it is a food security strategy. It is an economic development strategy and a community resilience strategy. 

We’ve talked a bit about this already, but thinking of women farmers in particular, what challenges do women farmers and entrepreneurs still face, especially across sub-Saharan Africa?

The fact still remains that women often face the same agricultural risks as men, but with additional structural barriers. Land ownership and inheritance systems may prevent women from controlling the land that they farm in. Without land and another recognised asset, they may struggle to provide collateral and access to finance. They also have less access to extension services, equipment, digital technology, market information, and of course, professional networks as well. 

Many women also combine farming and entrepreneurship with unpaid care responsibilities, household work, childcare, and this affects their ability to attend training, travel to markets or even expand their businesses. There could also be some social and cultural barriers. A woman may do much of the agricultural work, but they will still have limited influence over how this income is used. They still have no control over it. So programs must therefore look beyond production figures and address financial inclusion of women. We also need to build and boost confidence as well. Motivate them in leadership, decision making and the wider environment in which women operate. When you have at least one confident woman who’s empowered, they tend to be influential too the others.

You’ve kindly given your support to Opportunity and our Growing Her Future campaign – what inspired you to support Opportunity and our campaign?

I didn’t know that Opportunity International existed. Which is a tragedy, really, because seeing the work you do, a lot more people should be aware of it.

So I actually was inspired by the campaign's focus on practical, lasting opportunity. It aligns with my own work and values - using education, finance, innovation, and partnership to help people build more secure and resilient livelihoods. Growing Her Future recognizes that women farmers and rural entrepreneurs are not lacking ambition or ability. Too often they are lacking access to finance, to knowledge, tools, technology, and access to markets. So I was drawn to the campaign's integrated approach, as it aims to provide practical farming and business training alongside savings, loans, all these financial  tools that you offer and also ongoing support. Like I said, you need that ecosystem for farming to be more resilient and sustainable.

So Opportunity International's aim to reach many women in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Ghana represents a chance to create change in meaningful scale and while still working through local relationships and locally relevant solutions. 

In your view, what makes programmes like Growing Her Future truly effective in delivering long-term change?

Long-term change comes when a programme builds capacity rather than dependency. Let's say an organisation like yours move out of Rwanda, move out of Ghana, the communities are still able to sustain themselves and continue with what was provided to them, right?

So firstly, the support must respond to women's real circumstances, which means understanding their crops, their businesses, the financial cycles, care responsibilities, and also you need to understand the local markets, the local systems. I always say, when you go, when people go into a region, it shouldn't be about “this is what you must do. This is the solution.” It should always actually be from the bottom up. It should be the communities that says, “this is our challenges and this is how we've tried to deal with them, this is what we think we need, and this is what we've been doing.” And then meet somewhere in the middle to say, “okay, with what you're doing, this is how we think we can help.”

Secondly, programmes should combine technical agricultural knowledge with business and financial skills. Producing more is valuable. We know that it's all we have to produce, but women also need to understand pricing. They need to understand cash flow, savings, borrowing and market opportunities, so that production becomes increased and it becomes a more reliable income.

And lastly, access to finance should be responsible. It's not all about saying, “here's the money”. It should be responsible and it should be appropriately structured. If it's loans, they must reflect agricultural seasons and should be accompanied by training and support.

Programs need strong local partnerships. They need measurable outcomes and a long-term view. Now, Growing Her Future’s combination of practical training, financial access, digital tools and local support, I think gives a very good foundation for this type of sustained change. So, but like I said, what you guys are doing is amazing. If you train a woman and motivate them, there's a ripple effect in such a way that if you do for whatever reason, decide we've done our job in Rwanda, we're now going to Senegal, then, you know farmers or women should continue to do what they're doing and more. 

Your career has included many achievements, including international recognition and winning two Women Changing the World awards - what are you most proud of?

Recognition is affirming, of course, but the real reward for me is seeing knowledge translated into confidence, opportunity and impact. I have been fortunate to receive recognition for my work in education and agriculture, but awards are not what I am most proud of.

I am most proud when I see other people progress. I have learned that women who speak up can sometimes be perceived differently, but that has never stopped me from advocating for students, researchers and communities whose voices need to be heard. I am proud of the students and researchers I have supervised, of helping to establish research capacity, supporting agricultural innovation and creating educational opportunities.

Ultimately, I am proud of initiatives that can outlast me. For me, legacy is not simply about being known for speaking out; it is about what was created, strengthened or made possible because of what I believed in and stood for.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women entering agriculture, science, or development?

My first advice would be to not allow your starting point to determine how far you believe you can go. Don't look at where you started. Obviously, look at your current situation, but then don't limit yourself to that. The sky is not even a limit. The sky is an illusion. You need to be curious and build a strong foundation of knowledge. 

I have seen personally how education can transform lives, which is why I continue to encourage young people to build a strong foundation of knowledge and pursue educational opportunities where they can.

But also, you need to remain open to opportunities outside your path. Don't be narrow-minded. I thought by now I would be living in some big farm, growing, selling and educating. You know, I had this illusion, but I just found that, look, when there's a path that actually challenges you, look at it, see if it agrees with your values and it does not take away from what you believe in. Go for it. Because sometimes beautiful things arise from things that we never thought were actually for us. 

Agriculture needs scientists. It needs engineers. It needs entrepreneurs. It needs economists, educators, data specialists, a whole sort. There is no single route into our sector. And it's the same with most sectors. You need to seek mentors as well.  Along the wayI met people who actually opened up paths for me.

But also you need to build a network of peers who will grow with you. Choose your people well. Your network is your net worth

You know, ask questions, apply for scholarships and opportunities. Never say it's not for me. 

Finally, what would you say to someone considering supporting Growing Her Future - what difference can they help make?

Coming from Africa, being an African woman, having been on the ground in Africa and in farms, I would say that the support can help unlock potential that already exists. The women that are involved are already working very hard. They are growing food, they are sustaining households and contributing to rural economies. What many lack is a fair opportunity to access the resources that could allow their work to become more productive, profitable and resilient. So by supporting Growing Her Future, you can help a woman gain agricultural and business knowledge, access savings or appropriate finance, adopt better tools and technologies and build a stronger livelihood.

So that can mean more nutritious food, school fees being paid, health care becoming affordable, and a family being better prepared for climate or economic shocks. The impact does not end with one harvest or one business. It can extend to children, our employees, neighbouring farmers, and obviously future generations. You are not only simply funding or helping with an activity, you also investing in a woman's capacity to change her own future. And through her, helping an entire community, nation to grow stronger.

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