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·  Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has signed an MoU with the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) ·  Land reform projects will benefit from the hybrid rice project ·  UMP has teamed up with a world-renowned Chinese hybrid rice innovator, Professor Zhang Zhaodong

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Sizwe sama Yende

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The presence of the first university in Mpumalanga is beginning to show massive impact with a large-scale hybrid rice project expected to generate R40.3 billion into the province’s economy annually.

Mpumalanga premier, Mandla Ndlovu, has announced that his government has partnered with the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) in this ground-breaking project that will benefit land reform beneficiaries and create 388 000 jobs.

Ndlovu and UMP vice-chancellor, Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in a structured and sustained manner to promote the social, economic, and intellectual development of Mpumalanga's people.

This will translate into finding solutions for the province in unemployment, inequality, poverty, and skills shortages.

“With the signing of this MoU, we will open yet another opportunity for our farmers to access international export trading through the piloting of large-scale hybrid rice production in our province,” Ndlovu said.

This project would yield up to 10 tons per hectare, he said, and 1.2 million hectares in various farms around the province have been earmarked.

“It is the first of its kind in the African soil, and it has landed well on the province of the rising sun. We aim to support emerging farmers and small-scale farmers to expand agro-processing opportunities that create sustainable jobs,” Ndlovu said.

The premier said that the government would continue to leverage private sector funding, and as such an Agro-Fund – in partnership with the Land Bank and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) - would be used to finance hybrid rice production in most of the province’s land reform farms.

“In September 2025, a three-year agreement was signed with NEF for blended finance totalling R300 million: R120 million (40%) as a government grant and R180 million (60%) as a NEF soft loan at 2% interest. To date, over R100 million has been approved for six finalized deals. This initiative is expected to sustain 640 existing jobs and create 1 950 new employment opportunities,” Ndlovu said.

The government has identified Tekwane Farm outside the Mpumalanga capital city, Mbombela, as a piloting for the hybrid rice project.

UMP has teamed up with a world-renowned Chinese hybrid rice innovator, Professor Zhang Zhaodong, who heads the Hainan Quanyin Wuxing Seed Co., Ltd., a cutting-edge agricultural enterprise that drives innovation in rice production.

Hybrid rice is produced by the cross-pollination of two varieties for  high-yield seeds. Some of the hybrids are also resistant to pests and disease.

Rice is grown at a very small scale in the country in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Limpopo due to the country’s arid nature. Although the country exports rice to neighbours such as Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia it still relies on imports from countries such as Thailand, India, Pakistan and Vietnam to feed its population.

Professor Meyiwa has reaffirmed the institution’s readiness to translate vision into action.

“We are committed to making an impactful contribution to the province through innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Collaboration is essential if we are to create meaningful and lasting change,” she said.

Meyiwa said that sustainability and innovation remain central to UMP’s strategic direction.

“Our aspiration is to be an African University leading in sustainable development through innovation. This MoU strengthens our ability to realise that vision.”

Ndlovu said that universities were not ivory towers removed from society, but engines of transformation. He said they were incubators of innovation and catalysts for economic growth.