RAYMOND MHLABA AGRICULTURAL & RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Working Towards The Eradication of Poverty
RAYMOND MHLABA AGRICULTURAL & RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Raymond Mhlaba Agricultural & Rural Development Agency NPO strives to promote, establish, facilitate and support the growth of black owned and managed agribusinesses along agricultural value chains in South Africa through partnerships with individuals, communities, private sector and other public sector institutions in order to achieve a transformed agribusiness sector.
The Agency (ARDA) is a catalytic vehicle that facilitates the growth of a strong, transformed, diversified, dynamic, competitive and sustainable agro-processing industry in South Africa, in collaboration with the various sector players. It serves as a catalyst for agribusiness development in the province, through focusing on projects that are catalytic in nature and have the following attributes:
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Benefits beyond direct beneficiaries
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Economic spinoffs
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Embrace the whole value chain
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Speed up the development in the whole geographical area.
Our Targeted Audience are Emerging, Commercial, Women, Youth in Rural Areas and People Living with Disabilities.
We are a Registered Non-Profit Organisation with The Department of Social Development, and The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). We are a South African Revenue Service approved Public Benefit Organisation and a Level 1 B-BBEE Contributor in terms of the BEE Codes of Good Practice. Our Auditors are Khumalo and Mabuya Chartered Accountants , and Our Attorneys are Tomlinson Mnguni James Attorneys.
We subscribe to the Independent Code of Governance for Non Profit Organisation by Governance SA
The code is a set of values and principles intended to guide and inform the way organisations are managed and conduct their affairs. It is also intended to serve as a standard and measure of performance to guide members of governing boards, and those who carry responsibility for governance.
To Download The Code of Governance Please Click Here
RAYMOND MHLABA
Our Patron Raymond Mhlaba was born in Mazoka village at Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape. He attended school at Healdtown but was forced to drop out because of financial problems. After leaving school he worked for a dry cleaning factory in Port Elizabeth in 1942.
His experiences at the factory developed his political views and commitment to the labour struggle. A year later he joined the Communist Party of South Africa and became Secretary for the Port Elizabeth branch until the party was banned in 1950. From 1944 Mhlaba maintained dual membership of the ANC and the CPSA. He was arrested during the Robben Island. He was transfered to Pollsmoor prison in 1986, where he stayed until his release in 1989 to join the ANC Special Executive Committee that negotiated with the National Party government at Groote Schuur on a democratic future for the South Africa.
In 1991 he was elected into the ANC National Executive Committee and in 1994 he became the Premier of the
Eastern Cape. Mhlaba also received the ANC medal Isithwalandwe and served in 1997 as South African High Commissioner to Uganda. in January 1994 he was chosen as the ANC's nominee as Premier of the Eastern Cape, and in May 1994 he was elected to that post. He helped to establish the house of traditional leaders. He then became the High Commissioner to Uganda and Rwanda, until he retired in 2001.In 2004, Mhlaba was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer, and in December doctors discharged him from a private clinic saying there was nothing they could do for him. On 20 February 2005 he died in hospital.
OUR WORK
The Focus of Our Efforts
AGRI - EXPORTS
We Provide A Platform for Emerging Farmers To Access Regional, Continental and International Markets to increase Exports in the South African Agricultural Sector
We Assist in Training, Mentorship, Access to Finance and Business Planning for Farmers in order to meet international standards of production,
AGRO-PROCESSING
We Assist Entrepreneurs who are involved in the Agro Processing Tier of the food chain to becoming world leading food manufacturers
We have a packaged programme that assist in the training, mentorship, access to information, business planning, market linkages, access to finance and equipment
COMPREHENSIVE CAPACITY BUILDING
We enhance the knowledge base and capacity of the agribusiness sector to perform optimally through training, policy advocacy, leverage of funding and partnerships.
We assist in training, mentorship, infrastructure, business planning, research and other various interventions.
YOUTH TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
We build solutions and innovations that can solve the youth unemployment challenge by partnering with business, government, young people and many others who are committed to results that can work
We assist with the following:
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On The Job Training
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Internships
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Learnerships
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Workplace Placement
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Community Service
RAYMOND MHLABA GAZETTE
The Raymond Mhlaba Gazette is a popular weekly newspaper in South Africa. It is published in the Eastern Cape and mostly reports on news in the Eastern Cape Region in the southern part of the country and also on National Issues.
Our Publication focuses on Current News Affairs, Agriculture, Rural and Youth Development
NOMARIKE
The 29% Unemployed Rate in South Africa gave birth to what we call Informal Trading or Street Vending for many South Africans, the “alternative to unemployment”.
Statistics South Africa found that there were 5 Million surviving on R1500 per month, they are majority a black woman between the ages of 25-44 with low levels of education.
Our Nomarike Programme assist them through training, access to credit and employment benefits such as life cover, provident fund, health care ect.
“It seems impossible until it's done”
Nelson Mandela
Upcoming Events
Fri, 20 MarNangoza Jebe Hall20 Mar 2020, 17:00Nangoza Jebe Hall, 135 Moduka Rd, New Brighton 2, Ibhayi, 6200, South Africa
Sun, 23 FebCecil Emmet Sports Complex23 Feb 2020, 12:00Cecil Emmet Sports Complex, Vryheid, South Africa
Wed, 12 FebFort Beaufort12 Feb 2020, 20:00Fort Beaufort, Fort Beaufort, South Africa
CONTACT THE RAYMOND MHLABA AGRICULTURAL & RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Head Office:
249 Boom Street, Pietermaritzburg, 3201
Eastern Cape Regional Office:
14 Stewart Drive, Berea, East London, 5241
Gauteng Regional Office:
West Tower, 2nd Floor, Nelson Mandela Square, Maude St, Johannesburg, 2146
Email: info@raymondmhlaba.org
Telephone: +27330125002
Fax: 0866767567