Lentswe, Bothaville - Farmers gathered at the 2025 Grain SA’s Day of Celebration awards ceremony at Nampo Park, last week. The event took place on Thursday October 2. Botlhale Jacob Tshabalala, a farmer from Ditsobotla Local Municipality, was crowned 2025 New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year, a prestigious accolade recognising exceptional innovation, leadership, and excellence in commercial farming. As part of this honour, he received a John Deere tractor to enhance his planting operations, further empowering him to expand production and improve efficiency on his farm.
The province was also represented by Itumeleng Mongane, winner of the 2025 Smallholder Farmer of the Year award for his dedication, resilience, and outstanding contributions to small-scale farming; Mpho Munyai, runner-up in the New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year category; and Nkosana Mthimkhulu, runner-up in the Potential Commercial Farmer of the Year category.
According to the organisers of this annual event, Grain SA, these awards are designed not only to celebrate the dedication, perseverance, and achievements of farmers nationwide but also to inspire young farmers, encouraging them to embrace agriculture with passion, determination, and a forward-looking vision.
The 2025 Commercial Farmer of the Year, Tshabalala, who trained in electrical engineering and fitting and turning, has built a thriving mixed farming operation, producing maize, sunflower, and small white beans, alongside a premium herd of Brahman, Simbra, and Bonsmara cattle. He attributes his meticulous record-keeping, dedication, and strong work ethic as key factors in earning national recognition among South Africa’s leading emerging commercial farmers. He also credits his success to ongoing learning and guidance from agricultural experts.
MEC Madoda Sambatha extended his heartfelt congratulations to all farmers who participated in this year’s awards, including the runner-ups, for their hard work, commitment, and contributions to advancing agriculture in the province.
He described the awards as a moment of immense pride for the North West, noting that the recognition of these farmers reflects the province’s growing influence and stature in the national agricultural sector.
“Winning in this competition is not new to our farmers. In previous years, such as in 2023, the New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year title was also claimed by a farmer, Shimi Raphotho from this province.
“That alone shows that we are doing something right in the North West, from our robust farmer support programmes to the unwavering dedication of our producers who continue to demonstrate excellence and innovation in their work. Their achievements inspire both the young and old farmers across, proving that with perseverance, vision, and the courage to seize opportunities, success in agriculture is within everyone’s reach,” MEC Sambatha concluded.
As the province celebrates these mile-stones, the stories of these farmers stand as powerful reminders that with determination, innovation, and support, local farmers can thrive and drive the transformation of SA’s agricultural landscape.
