Laingsburg is a poor farming town 360 kilometres from Cape Town. It is largely underdeveloped, with high levels of unemployment.
The Ethics and Learning Institute is a Western Cape-based business that specialises in agricultural training and consulting. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the project partner, aims to create an enabling environment for private-sector investment and socio-economic development in rural areas. Its rural development programme is structured into two sub-programmes, rural nodal development and farm worker development. The project addresses both of these focus areas.
The Karoo Incubator seeks to develop previously disadvantaged agricultural entrepreneurs in Laingsburg. It also aims to develop the Zandrivier Farm to its full capacity by establishing out-grower farming, which involves dividing the land into units. Each unit will be operated by a beneficiary who will be trained as an agricultural specialist. The Ethics and Learning Institute will support the agricultural specialist with training, administration, logistics, financial management and mentoring. Each farming unit will create permanent agricultural jobs. These jobs will be supported by the estimated annual turnover of R1.5 million per unit. This initiative aims to create sustainable jobs, develop the area (high-value agricultural produce will be a major output) and ensure that the people of Laingsburg are more employable.