Food For Mzansi, South Africa’s leading digital agricultural news and information platform, is celebrating its seventh birthday by launching one of its most ambitious national engagement campaigns yet.
Instead of commemorating the milestone with festivities, the publication is calling on every farmer, worker, and agripreneur to “Stand up, be seen, and be counted” in a groundbreaking survey designed to capture the true face of South African agriculture.
The campaign marks a pivotal moment for Food For Mzansi’s mission to democratise agricultural information and elevate the voices too often left out of national conversations.
A moment to listen more intentionally
“From day one, Food For Mzansi has existed to tell the human stories behind South African agriculture, and especially those voices that are often overlooked,” said co-founder and strategy director Kobus Louwrens.
“This moment felt like the right time to stop and listen even more intentionally. Agriculture is changing very fast, and if we want to continue serving the sector in a meaningful way, we need a clearer picture of who our audience really is… So “Stand up, be seen, and be counted” is our way of honouring that.”
Louwrens describes the initiative as a storytelling project “wrapped in data”; a chance for every person in the food system to affirm: I’m here and my story matters.
Building a human-centred portrait of SA agriculture
The design of the survey focuses heavily on accessibility. Whether someone is using a high-end smartphone or an entry-level device bought from a local store, they will still be able to participate - even on low bandwidth in remote rural areas.
“We’ve made sure the survey works no matter where you are in South Africa, even on a single bar of signal,” explained Gareth Davies, head of product and design at Food For Mzansi.
“The questions adjust according to how you answer, so whether you’re a commercial farmer or a household-level producer, the survey remains relevant and doesn’t waste your time.”
Davies describes the initiative as “a full picture” of agriculture – from established commercial growers to emerging agripreneurs and household producers.
Turning data into dignity
For Food For Mzansi, the campaign is not just about gathering numbers. It is about restoring dignity and visibility to people who are too rarely centred in public understanding.
“So many people in South African agriculture remain invisible,” Louwrens added. “Small-scale farmers, farmworkers, young entrepreneurs, and disproportionately women… They don’t get seen or heard from. So decisions get made about them but not with them.”
By gathering insights at national scale, Food For Mzansi aims to shift the narrative away from stereotypes and toward a truer, more nuanced reflection of the sector. The data, and the stories it unlocks, will be shared publicly to ensure policymakers, corporates and the public can no longer overlook the people who keep the country fed.
A rapidly growing picture of the sector
The publication initially aimed to secure 500 verified participants from all provinces, but reached that milestone earlier than expected.
According to Davies, the early traction offers both excitement and confirmation: “It shows how hungry people are to be seen and understood.”
He adds that official data drastically underrepresents the real scale of agriculture. While only 40,000 commercial entities appear in formal surveys, Food For Mzansi’s analysis suggests there may be over 250,000 active commercial producers in the country.
“This campaign helps surface those people and ensures their voices are heard,” Davies said.
Deepening a relationship seven years in the making
Food For Mzansi’s success has been built on its close relationship with farmers and agricultural workers across the country. The platform regularly hosts farmer days, training events, and workshops, and reaches millions through its digital platforms and the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track podcast.
“Our audience has grown with us, and we’ve grown with them,” said Louwrens. “Stand up, be seen, and be counted takes that relationship a step further. It transforms passive readership into active participation and reminds people that they’re part of something bigger.”
For Food For Mzansi, the long-term goal goes far beyond this seventh birthday campaign.
“If we end up issuing a report that is accepted by academics, policymakers, and widely quoted as a credible source. Aand if people can say, ‘Yes, my voice was actually heard’, that will be a success,” Louwrens said. “And if we can repeat this periodically and fill a huge gap in SA’s agricultural data landscape, that would be even more impactful.”
About Food For Mzansi
Food For Mzansi is a globally recognised agricultural publication, winning 21 international media awards since 2018. In 2024, its Farmer’s Inside Track podcast was named the World’s Best Podcast by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation. The platform tells the real stories of South Africa’s farmers, farm workers, and agripreneurs. Through journalism, training, events, and digital innovation, it supports and empowers the people who feed the nation.
