Nation in Conversation is a critical dialogue forum on the major agriculture issues at Nampo which kicked off with a press launch in Klerksdorp, North-West, on Monday 15 May. The 51st Nampo exhibition runs from Tuesday 16 May to Friday 19 May in Bothaville, Free State, with Nedbank continuing its sponsorship of the key agriculture dialogue.
Farming is the lifeblood of the South African economy and Nedbank takes seriously and understands the roles undertaken by both producers as well as the secondary agricultural business community. Nation in Conversation is regarded as the “voice” of the producer and its key partners in the agricultural food chain.
‘We are committed to providing key support and advisory and business services to all players in the agri-space. This through sharing our financial agri-expertise and playing a role in advancing profitable, sustainable practices throughout the agricultural production and consumption value chain,’ said Herman de Kock, Nedbank Business Banking Head of Sales.
Land Reform, successful transformation initiatives and a special youth programme are some of the topics on the agenda at Nation in Conversation. Other pertinent issues scheduled to be discussed include the effect of illegal land grabs and occupation, land restitution without compensation, finance, labour, diversification and financial planning.
Many of these crucial conversations come against the backdrop of the implications of the recent credit rating downgrades, lingering effects of the drought in 2016 and on-going challenges relating to water and food security, climate change and future trends in agriculture.
‘In line with our new brand promise encouraging clients to ‘See Money Differently’, platforms such as Nation in Conversation are key to ensure that we devise informed and sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing the agri-sector,’ De Kock added.
To speak to our team of Nedbank Agri Specialists-experts at NAMPO 2017, contact
Edwin Naidu
Nedbank Group Communications
082 600 7868
Additional information:
Meet our Nedbank Agric Specialists
Nedbank’s three divisional agricultural managers are all agribusiness specialists will be at the Nedbank stand at NAMPO and they look forward to meeting you.
Daneel Rossouw
Nedbank Agric Divisional Manager: Western Cape
Daneel has a BAgric degree from Stellenbosch University, majoring in Agricultural Economics, with a focus on wine and table grape production. He joined Nedbank in 2011 with 21 years of agriculture banking experience behind him. “Coming from a farming background, I always had a passion for agricultural finance, as did my father whose career was with the Land Bank,” says Daneel. “Joining Nedbank was extremely motivating for me as it offered the opportunity to be part of creating and leading our agric specific focus, which has enjoyed such good growth over the past couple of years. Farming is highly complex, and, on top of this, farmers are also business people operating in the agric field. I thoroughly enjoy the discussions with farmers around the outlook for agriculture, and how they always seem to find solutions to the many challenges they face. They are innovative, pro-active and it is just great to be able to add real value to their businesses.”
John Hudson
Nedbank Agric Divisional Manager: KZN, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State
John grew up on a farm in KZN and graduated from the former University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg) with an Honours degree in Agricultural Management, majoring in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Production. John has been involved in agricultural finance since 1991 and joined Nedbank in September 2010. “Over the past six years we have established a specialised agricultural team in our provinces, and the growth achieved in our agric client base has been incredibly inspiring. Agriculture has a vital role to play in the development of our country and, in particular, the development of the rural economy. Structuring financial solutions for our farmers and agribusinesses has the ability to unlock all this potential and thereby growing the economy as a whole. This is what makes agricultural finance special: it has the ability to make a real and significant difference to so many people’s lives.”
Cobus de Bruyn
Nedbank Agric Divisional Manager: Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Cobus has a BSc Agric Honours degree, majoring in Agricultural Economics from the University of Pretoria. He joined Nedbank in 2010 with 12 years of experience in banking, both in the commercial sector and agriculture. “My father owned a farm in Marble Hall and my interest in agriculture and agricultural finance developed from there. Through our whole-view banking approach we look at money differently, and through good conversations with our clients we ensure that we use our experience and insight to provide the right solutions to our clients. We inherently understand the risks and the opportunities in the sector, and we also have considerable expertise in the agricultural export business. What is so appealing about farming is that it is literally a living, growing industry where you can see seeds grow and calves being born, and where you closely experience nature.”