Thulani Mabuza

Dedicate, dilligent, self motivated, team player, leader. 

1. General Manager: Al MAYYA Group (971Ukulima Farm) (Feb 2023- To Date)

• Oversee the day-to-day farm operations.
• Plans finances and production to maintain farm progress against budget parameters.
• Develop, plan, and actualize clear, reasonable and sustainable short, medium, and long-term visions and business plans for agriculture farms. 
• Directs and coordinates worker activities, such as planting, irrigation, chemical application, harvesting, grading, payroll, recordkeeping, structure maintenance and nursery operations.
• Coordinates growing activities with those of engineering, equipment maintenance, packing houses and other related departments.
• Confers with purchasers and arranges for sale of crops.
• Records information, such as production, farm management practices, and parent stock, and prepares related reports.
• Analyses soil, water and compost to determine type and quantity of fertilizer required for maximum production.
• Have knowledge on soil regeneration and implementing the techniques.
• Through knowledge and experience in organic farming, permaculture, hydroponics green house, fruit trees and open field production.
• Connect and engage with local and regional suppliers to understand the market and products
• Inspects equipment to ensure proper functioning.
• Inspects orchards and fields to determine maturity dates of crops or to estimate potential crop damage from weather.
• Plans and directs development and production of hybrid plant varieties with high yield or disease and insect resistant characteristics.
• Help in purchase identification of machinery, equipment, and supplies such as tractors, seed, fertilizer and chemicals.
• Enforces safety regulations and creates policies and procedures.
• Knowledge on package house process and procedure.
• Responsible to achieve set target of yield and quality as per KPI and budget.
• Maintain and monitor the quality of yield and crops.
• Maintain knowledge of pests and diseases and an understanding of how they spread and how to treat them.
• Set the required KPIs to monitor financial and technical performance and maintain farm progress against budget parameters.
• Ensure that farm activities comply with government regulations.
• Understand the implications of the weather and make contingency plans.
• Plan training activities for new employees and existing team and monitor and mentoring the team performance.
• Help in create flow chart and SOPs of the farm and all farm activities, and in implementing GAP and other standards as per management requirement.
• Evaluates financial statements and makes budget proposals.
• Participates in hiring, performance management, transferring and promoting workers.
• Plan and manage all farm activities against set KPI’s.
• Responsible to deliver the daily weekly standard report as per requirement.
• Apply health and safety standards across the farm.
• Protect the environment and maintaining biodiversity.

1. Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD)      (August 2010 August to 31 Feb 2023)

Position: Senior Agricultural Advisor

Division: Food Security

Key Responsibilities: 

• Provide support to the management of the sub-programme by way of reducing the span of control from the AD and the DD
• To monitor all implementation activities in projects
• To empower staff in terms of management and supervisory activities
• Mentor and supervise four (4) junior staff
• To provide advanced scientific and practical information, advice and training (formal and informal) to stakeholders, in order to maximise their ability to produce agricultural commodities. 
• Depending on the programme: the principal agricultural officer will work with beneficiary groups, facilitating their development as a group, and assisting them to develop the capacity to become self-sufficient through agricultural production. 
• Monitor and evaluate technical programme outputs
• Provide advanced technical and practical information, advice and training to personnel and beneficiaries.
• Work with junior agricultural officers, providing advice, guidance, on the job training, monitoring and follow up support. 
• Liaise and facilitate the interaction and flow of info between beneficiaries and other stakeholders 
• Carry out administrative duties
• Contribute to the good management of the directorate
• Mentor, supervise and support junior agricultural staff members 
• Contribute towards strategic planning of sub-programs 

1. Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD)     2004 August-2010 August 

Position: Agricultural Advisor 

Division: Food Security 

Key Responsibilities:

• The agricultural officer provide technical and practical information, advice and training (formal and informal) to farmers, in order to maximise their ability to produce agricultural commodities. 
• The agricultural officer works with beneficiaries, facilitating their development as a group, and assisting them to develop the capacity to become self-sufficient through agricultural production
• Provide technical support, advice and training to beneficiaries. 
• Self-sufficient beneficiary groups
• Good quality and appropriate (to the beneficiary group) information and support provided in good time 
• Liaise and facilitate the interaction and flow of info between beneficiaries and other stakeholders

Bachelor of Agric (B-Agric) Honours in Agricultural Extension: University of Pretoria (2016)

Achieved course work:

Principles and approaches of rural development, Human and organisational behaviour, Extension program plan and manage, Rural development studies, Leadership and group dynamics, Communication for sustainable development, Extension program.

Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development and Extension (B-Tech) Tshwane University of Technology (2004)

Achieved course work:

• Agronomy, Agricultural Extension, Research Methodology, Agricultural Communications, 
• Submission of a dissertation and presentation to the lecture and an outside moderator. 

Diploma in Rural Development and Rural Extension: Plant Production/Animal Production/Small Stock (2003) Technikon Pretoria 

Major courses: 

Vegetable Production Systems, Crop Production Systems, Agricultural Anatomy and Physiology Agricultural Mechanisation, Agronomy, Agricultural Extension, Beef production, Fruit Production, Small Stock, Soil Science, Soil Survey, Farm Planning, Natural Pastures, Agricultural Economics and Marketing, Pasture Science