Late in 2020, Hollard Insure joined forces with Farmingportal.co.za and Agri News Net to present the Young Agri Writers competition, to encourage fresh, young media voices in the agricultural space.
And they made themselves heard.
The competition was open to aspiring South African writers under the age of 28, who are not professional journalists. Their work had to be original, but could focus on any aspect of the agricultural sector.
“We were thrilled to receive a wide variety of entries from aspiring young agri writers,”says Andries Wiese, National Business Development Manager and Head of Agri for Hollard Insure.
“In judging each entry, we took into account various elements: whether the entry provided a fresh view on the agricultural sector; a different approach that reflected diversity of thought and view; new voices; demographics that represent diversity in agriculture; technical aspects, as well as thought about who and what constitute agriculture; solutions for both commercial and small-scale farmers; and Hollard’s own commitment to supporting youth, better futures for more people and the agri sector.
“We were impressed with the quality of work submitted, which – while it made the judging process more challenging – showed that there is a plethora of young journalism talent out there, just waiting to be discovered and nurtured,” says Wiese.
The top three entrants are as follows:
- Winner: Masiziba Ruth Hadebe, with her article titled Ocean Farms
- Second place: Karen Truter, with Welcome to the Boys’ Club
- Third place: Michelle Marais, with Small-scale Emerging Farmers might be the Key to Restoring More than Land Equity
Each wins R1 000 for making the top 10. Hadebe also takes home R5 000 for her winning article, and Truter and Marais R3 000 and R2 000 respectively.
Most importantly, Wiese continues, is that the competition has exposed aspiring journalists to the fascinating world of agriculture, thereby encouraging greater media diversity in this sector.
“Agriculture is an industry that is as wide-ranging and diverse as South Africa itself, and it needs to be described by a multiplicity of voices. If nothing else, this competition has found some of those fresh voices – and Hollard Insure is proud to have played its part in their discovery,” he says.
“Hearty congratulations to our winners!”
Masiziba Ruth Hadebe- Bloemfontein
Karin Truter - Paarl
Michelle Marais - Bloemfontein
