Next Step in Vodacom Bulls Turnaround

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The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd confirmed on Thursday evening that decorated international rugby coach John Mitchell has been appointed as their new Executive of Rugby.

This appointment is the next step in the unfolding turnaround strategy announced by the company two weeks ago.

Barend van Graan, CEO of the BBCo, explained that the appointment is merely a nextstep in the turnaround strategy: “We are working hard to ensure sustainableand long term success for the Vodacom Bulls. As part of the process, we have now appointed the best candidate to take over the reins at the Vodacom Bulls. We are also continuing with the rest of the process, to listen to people whoseinsights will help our turnaround succeed. We are working towards achievingsuccess as a team on every front, to grow our supporter base and to earn trust in our brand”.

“I said from the start that this would be a thorough process. We looked at options both internally and externally, and had various other discussions and forums to ensure we would identify the correct candidates. The signing of acoach with the magnitude and experience of Mitchell is a massive coup for us, as his coaching credentials and achievements speak for themselves. I’m sure John will be able to add immensely in terms of our goals to win trophies and more importantly to help the continued development of our coaches and players.”

The 53 year-old dad of three, who was born in Hawera New Zealand, boasts an impressive record both as a player and as a coach. Mitchell played in six matches for the All Blacks, captaining them on three occasions. As a coach he lead them to several memorable victories with an amazing success rate of over 80%, whichincluded 2002 and 2003 Tri-Nations Championships, third place 2003 IRB World Cup and also the Bledisloe Cup in the same year.

“I enjoy challenges and this surely is a serious challenge, but one that excites me tremendously”, said Mitchell.

“I have coached against the Vodacom Bulls and the Springboks many times before. They have a rich history of success, tradition and a legacy that surely surpasses most within SA Rugby and perhaps even world rugby. I am well aware of the responsibilities that come with this job, but I am also excited about the opportunities and the talented players at the Vodacom Bulls.”

Gert Wessels, president of the union, was also excited about the appointment, “It’s been a tough year at Loftus, and some big decisions had to be made. The Bulls Board and Executives decided to implement a strategy, which will have an immediate effect on the short term with the least disruption on players and coaches and further exacerbate an already dire situation.  I have no doubt that John is the man to take the Vodacom Bulls forward and establish strategies that will benefit the Bulls in the long term, and I amrather excited about having a man of his caliber on our team. He is a humble man, who epitomizes rugby values and what this beautiful game stands for, and I firmly believe that he will be an asset to our structures.”

John Newburry, Chairman of the board, elaborated on Nollis Marais’ role going forward, “Nollis will remain in his role as the Currie Cup Head Coach. The BBCo have invested a lot of time and resources in him over the past six years, and he has come through our ranks and has achieved many successes with the various teams over the years. He is a great coach and a true Blue Bull at heart.

“This appointment will strengthen his hand and ensure that he still adds value and remains a vital part of our system. We value his efforts, his commitment and ability to adapt to the changes, but most importantly his potential to walk the path forward with this brand. He is a integral part of this system and will fulfill a very important role in Mitchell’s management team.”

The Blue Bulls Company would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our sponsors: Vodacom, Afgri, Isuzu, Puma, as well as all the other associates, but most importantly to our supporters for showing their loyalty through this process.

Agriculture offers exciting career opportunities

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The agricultural sector offers young people exciting career opportunities to leverage new innovative ways of farming to care for the food security of future generations.

The agricultural sector is an exciting and challenging global industry that offers young people far more job opportunities than planting seeds and rendering animals.

“The industry needs young people in that young people are key players in increasing farmer visibility and continue to rapidly leverage on current and developing innovative technology as well as collaborate with traditional farmers to produce and position farming as the future solution towards ensuring food security,” says Prudence Motseo, ‎HR Systems and Admin Manager at AFGRI Operations.

Furthermore, this also applies to careers in our sector, as education in agriculture has evolved and is aligned with developed trends and innovative ways of farming; enabling the development of diverse players, such as small and large scale farmers facing economic challenges locally and globally.

“A career at AFGRI is broad in nature and offers endless range of opportunities in career choices within the agricultural sector,” says Motseo. “Within Agri Services, our subsidiaries, Grain Management, Equipment, Unigro Financial and Insurance Service and Harvest Time Investments, jobs range from farm workers, crop scientists, researchers, financial analysts, agronomists and product developers, including support functions such as Finance, Human Resources, Legal and Marketing to name but a few.”

There are also new developing trends in career opportunities in the sector. Motseo says skills that will be needed in future include that of technical advisors, qualified artisans, strategists, business development managers, innovation specialists, hydrologist, lab technicians and entomology product specialists.

Qualifications needed to further a career in agriculture will vary according to the path that you intend to pursue. For instance, a career in grain management may require a qualification in agricultural crop science, grain grading and management; at Equipment and Unigro job opportunities vary between artisans and Relationship managers as scarce critical skills.

AFGRI also offers opportunities in Africa. We currently operate at Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Botswana, Congo, Mozambique and Australia. We envisage growth of our business, which may create opportunities in more countries.

Motseo says a career in agriculture will suit individuals with passion and dedication for agriculture, driven by innovation and possess an attitude of selflessness in caring for future generation’s food security.

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The table below shows possible options in a career in agriculture. Qualifications will vary accordingly.

https://careers.afgri.co.za/ contains additional information.

Maxwane to make Vodacom Bulls debut

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Vodacom Bulls coach, Nollis Marais named FNB Tuks winger, Sibahle Maxwane, on the wing for the team’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday to hand the 21-year old his team and tournament debut, whilst also making four changes in total to his backline.

Maxwane replaces injured Jamba Ulengo, while Jan Serfontein and Francois Brummer will earn starts and Jesse Kriel will play at fullback.

Kriel comes in for Warrick Gelant, who moves the bench to take over from Serfontein who moves in Kriel’s place at centre. Brummer takes over from Tian Schoeman.

In the only change in the pack, Lood de Jager moves from the bench into the engine room in place of suspended RG Snyman.

Marais also named uncapped AbongileNonkontwana on the bench, with the former Vodacom Blue Bulls Under-21 captain taking over the vacancy left by De Jager.

“We had three debutants last weekend and this weekend two more new faces will play for the Vodacom Bulls for thefirst time in what is already a fairly young team,” Marais said.

“I have no doubt in their abilities, as I have always believed that age should not impact on selection. Rabs (Sibahle) showed great form and potential for Tuks and was named in the Varsity Cup Dream Team, so that form was widely acknowledged. He continued with that in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge for the Vodacom Blue Bulls, scoring a hat-trick in one of the matches, so I am excited to see him perform,” Marais said of the former Border Craven Week, DHL Western Province and SA Rugby Sevens Academy player.

“Abongile came through the ranks and his breakthrough into Super Rugby always was a matter of when rather than if. He will also perform well.”

The coach is wary of the Emirates Lions.

“Look, they are our form team, no doubt. We have had epic battles with them and this is a big derby match, so the guys will be up for it.”

Vodacom Bulls captain, Hanro Liebenberg, said they are excited about the match.

“We have a chance to compare ourselves against the leading South African team in the competition. That is a nice challenge. The fact that it is a Gauteng derby also makes it a nice one for the fans. We owe our fans a good show and where better to do that than in Johannesburg against the Lions.”

The team (with Super Rugby caps and points) is: Jesse Kriel (40, 20), Jade Stighling (1, 0), Jan Serfontein (55, 80), Burger Odendaal (28, 15), Sibahle Maxwane (0,0), Francois Brummer (22, 134), Rudy Paige (43, 5), Hanro Liebenberg (16, 15; c), Jannes Kirsten (23, 10), Ruan Steenkamp (6, 0), Lood de Jager (48), Jason Jenkins (23, 15), Trevor Nyakane (79), Jaco Visagie (15) Lizo Gqoboka (21, 5). Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle (30, 20),Pierre Schoeman (19, 5), Conraad van Vuuren (1, 0), Abongile Nonkontwana (0, 0), Nic de Jager (14, 5), Ivan van Zyl (4, 0), Tony Jantjies (1, 0), Warrick Gelant (14, 10).

Ensuring a sustainable agricultural sector

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Farmers face many complex decisions in order to ensure the sustainability of their enterprises and the food security of the nation.

In a panel discussion as part of the Nation in Conversation series at Nampo Harvest Day, Johan Geel, Group CFO of AFGRI, said to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the agricultural sector farmers need to diversify and adapt to advanced technology to improve their crops.

“To succeed in an increasingly complex sector, farmers need sound financial planning as the sector is capital intensive, return on investments are generally low and it takes between 7 to 9 months for most crops to deliver an income,” says Geel. Added to that, modern technologically advanced equipment requires an adequately trained labour.

Consensus amongst the panellists is that the current debt ratio of farmers at 35% is acceptable, even though the debt burden is on a record high at R145 billion. Geel says the expected bumper crop in the current season will help farmers to pay back their debt quickly. “However, careful financial planning is needed given the economic and political uncertainties. The recent sovereign downgrades by ratings agencies will have a negative impact on the farming sector as the downgrades will result in higher interest rates, which in turn means that less capital will be available. A weaker South African currency will also mean a significant increase in the price of imported goods such as equipment, diesel, insecticides and fertiliser.”

Geel says the current political uncertainty is not factored into financing decisions. “Companies like AFGRI need to discount the political noise in favour of expertise and the ability of the farmer and the land to produce a positive return when evaluating financing to farmers. We have to stick to the facts.”

Diversification of products will also ensure the long-term sustainability of a farming enterprise as well as the agricultural sector, says Geel. “Farmers with healthy balance sheets are those who have successfully diversified their operations. Diversification presents its own challenges, but in AFGRI’s experience established businesses that can add land cost effectively can be successful.”

The agricultural sector can play a very important role in job creation, but what is needed is better training as more and more, workers are expected to operate high-tech equipment. This adoption of high-tech equipment assists in diversification and efficiencies.

A sustainable agricultural sector will go a long way to trigger economic growth and in creating employment. “Some agricultural sectors are very labour intensive and the development and progress of the small towns are directly link to the well-being of the agriculture sector,” says Geel.

Innovative technology contributes to increased food production

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Mechanisation and technological advances are crucial in the agricultural sector to improve crop yields through better efficiency and accuracy to feed the ever-growing population. Patrick Roux, MD of AFGRI Equipment, discusses the latest advances in equipment and highlights areas where technological innovation is already making a difference in the sector.

Mechanisation and technological advances in agriculture create new opportunities to improve food security by ensuring greater efficiency and accuracy in farming techniques to feed the ever-growing population.

Patrick Roux, Managing Director of AFGRI Equipment, the largest John Deere dealership network in Southern Africa and Western Australia, says implementing innovative technology and artificial intelligence will greatly improve the world’s agricultural production.

“From machinery that can inject fertiliser at precise depths, smart water management systems to precision drones, the use of technology will greatly impact the availability and affordability of food.”

Across the world, agribusinesses are developing new technologies for the agricultural sector and the growth in the market for agricultural machinery is predicted at 7% per annum over the next three years.

Areas where technological innovation is already taking place – and making a difference – are higher crop productivity, decreased use of water, fertiliser and pesticides, which also contribute to lower food prices.

Modern farm machinery allows farmers to control his entire operation through the cloud through telematics that send information about how machines are being used and crop information to smart phones.

Roux predicts that further developments in artificial intelligence farming and precision farming techniques to ensure increased production to meet the demands of the growing population.

“With mounting pressure on food systems and environmental concerns, the agricultural sector will lead the way in implementing technology to ensure food security for a rapidly growing world population, which by 2050 is predicted to reach 9,7 billion.”

“In 2015, research by the Population Reference Bureau included only one African country, Nigeria, in its top ten most populous countries. The Bureau predicts that by 2050, Nigeria, DRC and Ethiopia will feature in the top ten list. This rapid population growth is due to improved life expectancy as economic growth rates increase,” concludes Roux.

AFGRI to participate in Nation in Conversation and Nampo Harvest Day

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AFGRI is proud to once again be a platinum sponsor of the Nation in Conversation series that will be broadcast live from the Nampo Harvest Day taking place in Bothaville from 16 to 19 May

 AFGRI, the leading agricultural services company with a core focus on grain commodities and a vision of driving food security across Africa, is proud to be a platinum sponsor of the Nation in Conversation discussions that will be broadcast live during the four days of the agri-industry’s premier event, Nampo Harvest Day.

From 16 to 19 May, local and international farmers as well as companies servicing the sector will gather in Bothaville in the Free State for the annual trade show. Nampo Harvest Day celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and is gaining in popularity amongst farmers to avail themselves of the opportunity to interact with experts in various agricultural fields and to benefit from their insights.

AFGRI has partnered with the preeminent agricultural trade show for the eighth consecutive year and has been involved with the country’s respected agri talk show, Nation in Conversation, for the past four years. The series has grown in stature and importance with leading players in the industry and mainstream economy participating in the discussions.

During the festival, viewers can look forward to daily panel discussions in front of a live studio audience on the following subjects: Finances: Labour, Diversification & Financial Planning; From Commodity to Trademark; The Role of Advisors, Technology and Soil Health; Female Role Players in Agriculture; Focus on Youth: A future in Agriculture; The Political Will and Successful Transformation Initiatives.

These riveting subjects will be facilitated by an equally reputable line up of show hosts and guests such as Carte Blanche’s Derek Watts; 702 and CapeTalk’s Eusebius McKaiser; former Nation in Conversation guest anchor and media expert Jeremy Maggs; CEO of Galileo Capital, Theo Vorster; Money Talk host Bruce Whitfield; Nation in Conversation co-anchor Mpumelelo Mkhabela and Power FM’s personality Andile Khumalo, with former politician and current chairman of the In Transformation Initiative, Roelf Meyer, as a special guest.

Among the stakeholders featured and represented on this series will be representatives from industry thought leaders like AFGRI, Senwes, Monsanto, Engen, Nedbank and the Department of Agriculture.

This year’s production of Nation in Conversation at Nampo Harvest Day is made possible by the following partners: AFGRI, Engen, Grain SA, Monsanto, Nedbank and Senwes, in association with Hinterland and Imperial Isuzu.

AFGRI clients will have the opportunity to engage with AFGRI at the Nation in Conversation VIP lounge. For more details and programme information, please visit the Nation in Conversation website at www.nationinconversation.co.za and download the app to join the conversation.

AFGRI Agri Services will, once again, be on proud display at NAMPO at stand number 119 and 120 in the NAMPO Hall.

Please come and visit the AFGRI stand and to see what is on offer from our Agricultural Services divisions which includes Grain Management, Equipment, UNIGRO and Harvest Time Investments. Our Hinterland joint venture will also be on display at NAMPO, where a host of goods can be bought from the retail outlet. Be sure to visit our stand as you pass by.

On Wednesday 17 May, certain members of the Vodacom Bulls rugby team will be at the stand, giving you an opportunity to interact with the players and get a sough-after autograph.