Dr Anna Mokgokong Highlights Agriculture as Pathway to Rural Transformation

Collaborative Vision for Rural Prosperity

Dr Anna Mokgokong, Chancellor of North-West University (NWU), has made a compelling call for broadened partnerships between rural communities, researchers, farmers, government, and industry to leverage agricultural production into economic opportunity and lasting rural transformation.

Speaking at an agriculture event outside Brits on 26 October 2026, Dr Mokgokong addressed a diverse gathering that included traditional leaders, government officials, commercial farmers, researchers, and industry partners. Her message emphasised the need for rural communities to shift from being mere recipients of development to becoming active drivers of modern, sustainable value chains, built upon their own land, knowledge, and enterprise.

The Case for Agriculture-Driven Development

Agriculture was redefined by Dr Mokgokong as more than food production. She described it as an industrialisation platform, a generator of employment, an incubator of entrepreneurship, and a creator of wealth for rural economies. Attendees heard her stress that connecting community assetssuch as land and skillswith science, investment, infrastructure, and accountable institutions is essential for transformation.

Empowering Rural Producers

According to Dr Mokgokong, supporting smallholders and emerging commercial producers requires more than access to land. She underscored the importance of:

• Access to improved seed, irrigation, machinery, and finance
• Availability of storage facilities and technical support
• Reliable market connections and business partnerships

She also pointed to the value of structured mentorship provided by established commercial producers. Through season-long mentorships, critical production know-how and business management skills can be transferred, encompassing everything from soil management to record-keeping and understanding buyer requirements.

However, Dr Mokgokong cautioned against dependence. The aim, she said, is to foster independent farming enterprises capable of meeting commercial standards. Structured off-take agreementswith maltsters, brewers, millers, and food processorswere highlighted as key ways to mitigate uncertainty by setting clear expectations on specifications, volumes, pricing, delivery, and contracts before planting even begins.

NWU’s Strategic Role in Bridging Research and Practice

The event held particular strategic importance for NWU. Dr Mokgokong positioned the university as a crucial bridge between research and real-world implementation. She proposed that academic knowledge should not remain confined to laboratories, but move towards demonstration farms, commercial production, and viable marketsraising yields, advancing climate resilience, and improving efficiency throughout the agricultural process.

Aligning Academia and Community Priorities

This approach connects the university’s research mandate directly with the development priorities of the North West province. By facilitating collaboration between researchers, students, and local producers, NWU can:

• Develop locally relevant solutions for staple crops such as maize, wheat, and barley
• Boost skills in agricultural sciences, technology, and entrepreneurship
• Promote a modern, technology-driven view of agriculture to students and the next generation

The university is also seen as a trusted convenor, able to link traditional councils, rural communities, and other stakeholders with industry and financiers. Respect for land rights, customary processes, and clear benefit-sharing arrangements are essential to building lasting, legitimate partnerships.

Developing Local Value Chains

Dr Mokgokong urged those present to move beyond the farm gate by investing in local milling, malting, animal feed, food processing, packaging, and logistics. Bringing these value-adding activities closer to production zones not only creates jobs, but also links rural enterprises to broader markets, both domestic and internationalprovided such ambitions are balanced with food security needs at home.

Platform for Practical Cooperation

The event was notable for focusing on actionable outcomes rather than abstract goals. The agenda included concrete areas for cooperation, such as land allocation, farmer participation, shared storage, irrigation, finance, mentorship, research, and coordinated market access. Progress, Dr Mokgokong suggested, should be measured in tangible results: hectares cultivated, farmers supported, jobs created, production output, and local processing capacity.

A Long-Term Commitment to Transformation

For NWU, this initiative represents an opportunity to showcase the value of engaged scholarship, combining teaching, research innovation, and community partnership to tackle some of South Africa’s most urgent development challenges.

If successful, this model will solidify NWU’s place as a regional institution whose knowledge helps secure food security, foster inclusive economic growth, and advance rural industrialisation.

Dr Mokgokong’s final message was one of disciplined optimism:

“Rural transformation demands patient investment, transparent governance, and commercially viable projects. Rural South Africa’s core assetsland, people, knowledge, and market demandprovide a solid foundation for change.”

If carefully connected and developed, these assets can help turn agricultural potential into productive capacity, then into industrial growth and, ultimately, shared prosperity for rural communities.