More than a bursary: Growing careers, connecting talent, and investing in agriculture

For Potatoes SA, investing in young people goes beyond providing financial assistance towards a qualification. While a bursary can open the door to higher education, the broader objective is to support students as they develop the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to build meaningful careers.

This means creating opportunities for students to gain practical exposure, understand the realities of the agricultural industry, build workplace readiness, and, ultimately, find opportunities to apply what they have learnt. Potatoes SA’s bursary programme is not only an investment in individual students, but also in the future skills and capacity of the agricultural sector.

The programme has supported 189 students since its inception. The status of these beneficiaries indicates how that investment continues to develop beyond the classroom. Many are now employed, while others continue their studies or work to secure their first job.

The impact beyond the numbers

Figure 1 provides more than a snapshot of where beneficiaries are today; they reflect the different stages of a journey that begins with education and can progress into further studies, practical experience, and employment. Notably, of the 126 graduates already employed, 75 work in the agricultural industry, underscoring the programme’s impact on building skills for the sector.

Behind every figure is a different journey. For some, the bursary provides the financial stability to complete their qualification; for others, it opens the door to study fields that can lead to careers within agriculture and related industries.

As students progress, academic achievement gives way to practical experience. Hands-on exposure to farms, production environments, research, markets, packhouses, and processing facilities prepares them to transition into the workplace.

The bursary programme is seen as part of a longer development journey, not simply a source of financial support. This journey requires continued engagement with students and graduates as they move from education into employment.

Creating pathways

One challenge many graduates face is securing their first opportunity after completing their studies. A qualification is an important achievement, but graduates also need access to employers, industry networks, and opportunities to demonstrate the value of their skills.

For this reason, Potatoes SA introduced the Graduate Career Connect portal, which is available on the Potatoes SA app. The portal connects graduates with employers seeking skilled young talent while enabling Potatoes SA to maintain ongoing relationships with the students it supports.

For employers and industry stakeholders, the portal provides an opportunity to discover potential talent and connect with graduates through Potatoes SA. This creates another avenue for the investment made in their education to translate into career opportunities.

Employers and industry stakeholders are encouraged to visit the Graduate Career Connect portal on the Potatoes SA app and help create employment pathways for young professionals. Simply download the Potatoes SA app from any app store, register to gain access to the Career Connect Portal, and start browsing.

Investing in the future

The agricultural sector needs young professionals with the knowledge, technical skills, and practical understanding to contribute to an evolving industry. This highlights the importance of looking at the bursary programme as a long-term investment rather than measuring its value only by the number of funded students.

For Potatoes SA, the goal is to build a pathway that connects education, practical experience, employment, and career development. The bursary may end, but the investment does not: It lives on in every career, every skill, and every contribution made to South African agriculture.

Potatoes SA’s bursary programme is more than a bursary; it is a long-term commitment to the people who will shape the industry’s future. – Rotondwa Raligidima

For more information, contact the author at rotondwa@potatoes.co.za