A timely dialogue at the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia in Pretoria brought together policy makers, business and development actors to promote a common agenda of women's empowerment in agriculture. Hosted by Tunisia's Ambassador Karima Bardaoui, the event highlighted both the opportunities and structural barriers that women face across agricultural value chains, while reaffirming the importance of cooperation between Tunisia and South Africa.
The program combined high-level panel discussions with hands-on engagement, with women farmers and artisans presenting their products. The exhibition section reminded the audience that women are not only participants in the agricultural economy, but active agents of innovation and local business development.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Bardaoui described the meeting as an example of „practical diplomacy“ and said: „We are not only exchanging views, but building bridges between policy and practice, between vision and concrete results.“ She stressed that women's empowerment, especially in rural economies, is both a social and economic priority, adding that it is „a strong area of convergence between Tunisia and South Africa and across the African continent.“.
The keynote speech was delivered by the Deputy Minister for Small Business Development Jane Sithole, which set the debate in a broader continental and global context. In the context of the designation of 2026 as the International Year of Women Farmers, she drew attention to the crucial but often under-appreciated role of women in agri-food systems.
„Women farmers are critical to food security, nutrition and economic resilience,“ Sithole said, stressing that Africa's development cannot be realised without their full involvement. She pointed to persistent structural barriers, including limited access to finance, limited access to markets and gaps in technical education, adding: „If we are serious about inclusive growth, we need to move from simply acknowledging these barriers to systematically removing them.“
Sithole also highlighted regulatory and administrative constraints at the local level. She stressed the need to reduce excessive bureaucracy and mentioned instances where long-standing businesses are hampered by rezoning requirements. She also called for development frameworks to better reflect local realities, including taking into account traditional leadership structures, which play a key role in economic activity, particularly in rural areas.
Discussions at the Embassy built on the themes of the recent National Summit on Local Economic Development 2026, where government and other stakeholders committed to a more coordinated approach to economic development. The Summit's final declaration set an agenda focused on translating policies into measurable results at the community level and addressing persistent challenges such as unemployment, inequality, regional disparities, inadequate infrastructure and limited institutional capacity.
Minister for Small Business Development Stella Ndabeni stressed at the Summit that this declaration represents a shift towards a more integrated and results-oriented model of local economic development. Consistency between the Embassy dialogue and the Summit conclusions was particularly evident in the emphasis on implementation, collaboration and inclusive growth.
Sithole further endorsed this approach, stressing that women's empowerment in agribusiness is not a fringe issue but an economic necessity. „Empowering women in agribusiness is not a social obligation but an economic imperative,“ she said, calling for stronger partnerships between government, the private sector, development finance institutions and regional organisations such as the African Union.
In addition to policy discussions, the event created a space for direct meetings between women entrepreneurs and potential partners and customers. This practical dimension was in line with Ambassador Bardaoui's emphasis on networking and collaboration, with participants encouraged to build networks and seek opportunities for cross-border cooperation.
As the two countries continue to develop their approaches to inclusive agricultural development, the Pretoria Dialogue has shown that common challenges can be addressed with common solutions. The linking of policy, practice and partnerships indicates a growing recognition that women are at the heart of the future of African agriculture and that unlocking their full potential is key to sustainable economic transformation.
Anisha Pemjee
Thediplomaticsociety/gnews.cz - GH
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