Manager: Grower Programmes
Manager: Grower Programmes | Centurion, Gauteng | Permanent
Help shape the future of South African agriculture by supporting farmers beyond finance. This role focuses on building practical programmes that enable farmers to grow sustainable, market-linked agricultural businesses.
The Manager: Grower Programmes will lead the development and implementation of grower initiatives that support both emerging and established farmers. Working closely with strategic partners, off-takers and internal business units, this role ensures that development farmers gain the technical, operational and market access support required to build viable agricultural enterprises.
The position plays a central role in designing and implementing farmer development programmes aligned with Land Bank’s partnership initiatives. This includes collaborating with pre and post investment teams, identifying market linkages, developing grower programme models for specific commodities and ensuring that development farmers are positioned to participate effectively in agricultural value chains.
The role also requires strong ecosystem collaboration across government, development finance institutions, agribusiness partners and internal Land Bank teams. Through these partnerships, the successful candidate will help drive inclusive agricultural growth while supporting the bank’s mandate to strengthen South Africa’s farming sector.
What You’ll Do- Develop and implement grower programmes for selected agricultural commodities
- Build partnerships with off-takers and industry stakeholders to expand market access for farmers
- Collaborate with strategic partners to design effective farmer development initiatives
- Support pre and post investment programmes that strengthen the sustainability of funded farmers
- Identify supplier aggregators, large-scale farmers and market participants that can support development farmers
- Design grower programme models that connect small-scale farmers to value chains
- Facilitate farmer development plans and initiatives across partnership programmes
- Build strong relationships with key agricultural ecosystem stakeholders, including government and development finance partners
- Participate in industry forums and marketing events to strengthen partnerships and identify new opportunities
- Work closely with internal business units, including Agricultural Economics, Advisory and Credit Risk to integrate programme strategies and risk mitigation
- Degree in Commerce, Science or Agriculture
- Approximately 7 years specialist experience in agronomy, grower support or agricultural development
- At least 3 years experience at management level
- Strong understanding of farmer development models and agricultural value chains
- Experience working with agricultural stakeholders, development programmes or partnership initiatives
- Knowledge of banking products and agricultural finance environments
- Familiarity with regulatory frameworks, including PFMA and the Land Bank Act
- Strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills
- Effective grower programmes that strengthen the sustainability of development farmers
- Strong partnerships with off-takers and agricultural ecosystem stakeholders
- Improved market access and value chain participation for small and emerging farmers
- Well-integrated pre- and post investment support programmes
- Scalable farmer development initiatives aligned with the organisation’s strategic objectives