The impact of agricultural investment diversification on youth employment opportunities in Mpumalanga province, Republic of South Africa

Abstract

The study aims to identify investment opportunities within agriculture that can create sustainable employment for youth in the province, and aid in the development of South African local economies. There are opportunities in the agriculture sector for investment in controlled environment agriculture, drone technologies, and emerging opportunities in mobile applications and software programmes for agriculture. There are some social and economic benefits associated with agripreneurship; agripreneurs provide their families with safe and nutritious food that is affordable, medical care and schooling for their children. Agripreneurship is a new concept and it represents a combination of agriculture and entrepreneurship. It is crucial that investment efforts are directed towards modern agriculture in order to attract more youth to the agricultural sector.