Lucky Nhlanhla Gumede

• Successfully managed one of the company's projects and identified a new niche.
• Monitor project performance to identify areas of improvement and to make adjustments.

I worked as a Development officer under the SA Cane Growers Association, based in the Glendale area. My duties were to help establish cane structures, monitor cane contractors, set meetings with stakeholders, and run the office administrative matters.

" AS A NEW PROSPECT"

When times change, people also change. However, agriculture is often more difficult to alter, and whatever amendments to the practices of good agriculture tend to be reactionary rather than proactive.

• It is not until something occurs, and stakeholders finally realize that the current state of affairs does not work. I hope to change this type of thinking in the near future by making Agriculture more fashionable to the previously disadvantaged communities and make it more profitable especially to the SSG's and MSG's within the SAFDA regions.
• To do so, I will first need to deepen my understanding of the existing structures, as it is a crucial base to apply my skills, knowledge, and experience obtained in the last 25 years in the farming environment.
• I worked as a teacher at Mthandeni Primary. I also worked as a Development Officer under SACGA, involved in various cane projects, including managing irrigation schemes further more worked as a Project manager, I served on the Youth in Agriculture Committee (Eastern region) under the Department of Agriculture. I have been involved in soccer structures as Director of QUTD under the Motsepe league.
• I am one of the co-founders of SAFDA, one of the founding members of Qwabe cane growers association, and also worked as a Director of LN sugar farm.
• Knowledge is power when applied, and I am confident that the things I will learn and my experience together from the past work environments would shape and allow me to become a responsible, community-oriented Business Development officer within the SAFDA structures.