Cape Forum and Saai join hands to educate coloured communities with projects
Cape Forum and the Southern Africa Agri Initiative (Saai) entered into a collaboration agreement on Tuesday 2 December, which will benefit the communities these institutions serve. This partnership will enable coloured learners and young workers to participate in sustainable national projects and thereby gain exposure to international opportunities. This collaboration is expected to commence early next year.
With this partnership, Cape Forum and Saai, in collaboration with Saai’s existing partners, will launch sustainable projects in coloured communities – including schools. These projects, which will include, among others, a vegetable garden and poultry farming, give communities the opportunity to gain skills in the agricultural sector.
Cape Forum has a holistic development plan of which school and community projects are at the core. Part of this development is the establishment, expansion and strengthening of agricultural projects. Exposure to these projects at school level leads to a deeper understanding of all the opportunities that are locked up in the agricultural sector. There are also international opportunities that students will have access to, should they consider a career in this sector.
According to Dr Theo de Jager, Chairperson of Saai, the organisation’s partnership with Cape Forum is an extension of its rapidly growing footprint in the Western Cape, which increased especially in 2025. In addition to Saai’s involvement with agricultural schools and students, the Lamb Champs competition, which was presented in collaboration with Pick n Pay and Toyota at the Boland Agricultural High School in Paarl, exceeded all expectations.
“Our numbers are also growing among coloured farmers, especially in the fruit, rooibos tea and sheep industries, hence the need to join hands with Cape Forum,” says De Jager. “Saai’s responsibility towards family farmers extends beyond technical agricultural matters. It also touches on community interests.”
According to Bernard Pieters, Head of Community Activation at Cape Forum, with this partnership they want to give more coloured people access to a future in agriculture – nationally or internationally – by creating networking opportunities.
It takes a community to raise a child. We are part of the community that must prepare today’s children for a bright future – a future where there are fair opportunities for everyone who is willing to work hard. It is a privilege for us to work with Saai and to be able to pool our resources to make this agreement a success,” concludes Pieters.
Get involved with Cape Forum today and help make a difference. Send an email to info@kaapseforum.co.za or join www.kaapseforum.co.za.
