Silindile Gumede

• Drive the training of emerging farmers and contractors using industry and government funding to ensure appropriate skills base in all areas, capacitating them to farm for RV and maintain operational standards

• Identify potential contractors and enhance their capabilities to achieve productivity amongst Small-scale

Growers cane production

• Improve the skills base of emerging black farmers through the facilitation of mentorship schemes aimed at

securing the sustainability of cane supplies

• Monitor the performance of interventions and schemes aimed at building the capacity of growers, contractors

and emerging farmers

• Oversee the provision of technical advice to communal and land reform growers for the purposes of increasing their share of cane supplies to the mills

• Maintain and encourage the proliferation of seed cane schemes that drive the adoption of best varieties by vulnerable growers

• Ensure that all Grant Funding is implemented in accordance with Government procedure and that key project deliverables are met as per the business plan

• Maintain an accurate production database for communal and land reform Growers with all the information required to determine trends

• Keep management appraised of all developments in the Small-scale Grower and Land Reform Sectors and within government structures that may affect the function.

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with Grower leaders and maintain an effective liaison with relevant stakeholders involved in agricultural and rural development projects.

• Maintain effective and efficient networks that enhance relationships with all stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with all landholding entities and operating companies as the overall coordinator of the restitution and transformation business process at a project level and in collaboration with Industry partners.

• Actively promote the adoption of sustainable agriculture production systems.

• Drive rigorous performance management, biased towards rewarding strong performance and compliance with critical behaviours, and including managing consequences where required

• Manage agricultural risk using agreed systems and processes for mitigation

• Oversee effective talent and performance management within function

Drive the training of emerging farmers using industry and government funding to ensure an appropriate skills base in all areas of emerging farmers

Improve skills base of emerging black farmers through the facilitation of mentorship schemes aimed at securing the sustainability of cane supplies

Develop and maintain a Land Reform grower database and track the status of all landholding and business entities.

Oversee approved interventions within land reform projects and craft solutions to improve efficiency and sustainability of sugarcane growing

Report on land reform grower cane production statistics (historic, current & forecast) using Illovo business data from the mills and legal department

Oversee operational plans made by project officers to ensure alignment with approved business plans

Maintain and encourage the proliferation of seed cane schemes that drive the development of cane supply from existing and emerging growers

Keep management apprised of all developments in land reform and within government structures that may affect the land affairs department

Develop and maintain good working relations with all landholding entities and operating companies

Maintain effective and efficient networks and enhance relationships with all stakeholders

Perform overall coordinating function of the restitution business process at a project level including liaison with industry structures for project support

Coordinate the compilation of business plans in collaboration with SASRI, SA CANEGROWERS,SAFDA and Illovo project officers to motivate for funding and enable sustainable farming systems

Drive rigorous performance management, biased towards rewarding strong performance and compliance with critical behaviours, and including managing consequences where required

Manage agricultural risk using agreed systems and processes for mitigation

Oversee effective talent and performance management within function

Ensure enablers are in place to promote success (e.g. systems and processes)

Identify and monitor KPIs to track performance and flag any issues

Promote and adhere to Illovo’s procedures, policies and guidelines, including, without limitation,those relating to SHERQ, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC)

Compile viability studies, business plans, budgets and cashflows

Conduct relevant economic research that can be used to inform strategy on new land reform beneficiaries on an annual basis

Provide land reform beneficiaries with the latest sugar cane economic and any other relevant industry information

Provide land reform growers with farm business management support and conduct workshops on an annual basis.

Interact with financiers, grant funding bodies and government bodies on an ongoing basis where and when appropriate.

Establish good working relationships with relevant stakeholders in the industry.

Contribute to company publications on topical and worthy items as required

Manage and support the Grower Support Officer in the region

Providing business advice to small scale grower structures and cooperatives

Project manager to small-scale grower organisations (SSGO ) development projects

Identification of grower development projects

Compiling business plans

Compiling funding proposals

Providing administrative guidance to small scale grower organizations’ (SSGO) leadership

Evaluating, facilitating & managing training and development initiatives

Providing an effective point of liaison between small scale growers and various service providers

Co-ordinating activities of the SSGO’s and organizations involved in the development of small scale growers.