A Public/Private Partnership for Extension Delivery in South Africa

South Africa is a country of diversity, which has recently emerged from a position of separateness, based on race and culture. Since 1994, the country has been transforming itself into a global society. In the past, people of different groups were compelled by laws to have separate health and education facilities, and were even required to live in designated areas; this resulted in limited opportunities for social and professional exchange. The post-apartheid period of growth has provided opportunities for reparation and reform that is encouraging unity and inclusion in many areas. On the brink of civil revolt and anarchy less than 10 years ago, South Africa today is a successful world model of political and social reform.

Although the initial purpose, and one of the continuing purposes of the Joint Venture partnership between the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs and South Africa Sugar Association, is to improve sugarcane production, the impetus for pushing sugarcane production amongst the various stakeholders are as varied as the stakeholders themselves. The formal partners in the Joint Venture (DAEA & SASA) are motivated to improve sugarcane production among all sugarcane producers in the province. However, they are also committed to improving the profit or economic bottom-line of their producers and to improving the social situation of the province. There are also several informal partners in this JV, including: mill staff, commercial growers, medium-scale Indian growers, mill cane committees, farmers organizations, input suppliers, contractors and the tribal authorities or municipalities. These informal partners have many and varied reasons for wanting the Joint Venture to succeed. Yet the common thread that brings them all together is the desire to improve the production of sugarcane in the region, providing social and economic stability to rural producers which, in turn, will provide stable and improved living conditions to all involved.

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