Making Markets Matter 2010 Program Report

Prepared by: Krisztina Tihanyi

May 2010

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Acknowledgements

The Making Markets Matter 2010 workshop was organized by Market Matters, Inc. The organizers would like to acknowledge the generous support of the following organizations: ABSA, the Citi Foundation, the Eastman Kodak Company, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (South Africa), the Presidential Initia-tive on Banana Industrial Development (Uganda), Standard Chartered Bank, and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. A special thank you to Novus International, the exclusive sponsor of the 2010 African Agribusiness Forum. We also wish to acknowledge the volunteer contributions of our facilitators and guest speakers, who generously offered their time and expertise.

Photo credits: Berna Coetzee, Life Photography

Please refer any questions related to the Making Markets Matter workshop or this report to:

Krisztina Tihanyi ~Chief Operating Officer~

Market Matters, Inc. 401 S. Albany Street

Ithaca, NY 14850 www.marketmattersinc.org info@marketmattersinc.org

Contents

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 1 Program Summary ................................................................................................................................. 2 Detailed Report ................................................................................................................................... 5

Profile of Participants .......................................................................................... 5 Traininig Materials and Opportunities for Learning ....................................................... 6 Facilitators and Guest Speakers .............................................................................. 8

Program Evaluation ............................................................................................................................. 10 Evaluation of The Program’s Educational Value ......................................................... 10 Evaluation of Instruction Methods ........................................................................ 12 Evaluation of Logistics ....................................................................................... 12 Open-ended Feedback about The Program .............................................................. 13

Appendices

Appendix 1a: Program (Group A) Appendix 1b: Program (Group B) Appendix 2: Participant list Appendix 3 : Facilitators and Guest Speaker bios Appendix 4a: Evaluation form (Group A) Appendix 4b: Evaluation form (Group B)

Appendix 5: Closing Banquet Program Appendix 6: Field Tours flier

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PROGRAM SUMMARY

The tenth Making Markets Matter (MMM) agribusiness education program was held at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, South Africa, on May 9–14, 2010. The goal of this annual program is to increase the capacity of African agribusinesses to meet the ever-increasing demands of today’s global food system. Including this year’s program, the MMM series has trained over 450 participants from agribusiness firms, business development ser-vices, nongovernmental organizations, government departments, and donor agencies. After ten consecutive annual programs, Making Markets Matter is recognized as a premium business development services (BDS) training program for emerging entrepreneurs in Southern and East Africa.

The 2010 program hosted 70 participants from 10 African countries. One-third of the participants were women. Facilitators and guest speakers represented a six countries (Botswana, India, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and the USA) from three continents and diverse organizational backgrounds, such as universities (University of Botswana, Cornell and Stellenbosch Universities), the nonprofit and development sectors (the Syngenta Founda-tion for Sustainable Agriculture and the African Development Bank), and the private sector (Freshmark and Standard Chartered Bank).

Opening and introductions on Monday, May 10

As in previous years, the educational programs was highly interactive; the sessions focused on key areas of busi-ness training, such as marketing, strategic planning, human resource management, leadership, and business ne-gotiations. In addition, participants were introduced to two live case studies: Intaba Fruit Processing Pty. Ltd., a

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South Africa-based company that produces jams and preserves, and Hillside Green Growers, a Kenyan vegetable export company.

In addition to the daytime sessions, the program featured evening programs that provided an ideal atmosphere for informal networking and discussions. The week started with a lively opening reception featuring interactive drumming facilitated by the Cape Town-based Drum Cafe. On Monday participants were treated to a South African “braai” at Neethlingshof, a local wine estate, where they listened to an evening address by Diale Ranga-ka, Marketing Manager of M’hudi Wines, South Africa’s first black, family-owned winery. On Tuesday evening, participants had dinner at Kleine Zalze Winery, where they listened to invited speaker Christo Nel, an expert on business leadership and coaching. The week’s program concluded with the Closing Banquet on Thursday, which hosted a number of invited guests from the South African agribusiness sector, including the National Agricultural Marketing Council, ABSA, LandBank, as well as a delegation from Stellenbosch University. The banquet included a performance by local musician Zukiswa Nomtshongwana, and a retrospective about the ten year history of the MMM program. The program concluded with the presentation of the MMM certificates of completion and the African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year award, an annual prize that recognizes an outstanding agribusi-ness from the Continent. The 2010 award went to John Lennos Makoni is the Chief Executive Officer of Gross Food and Agriculture Holdings (Pvt) Ltd Incorporating.

Participants exchange ideas during tea break.

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2010 marks the tenth anniversary of Making Markets Matter, and to mark the occasion, this year’s program in-cluded a special one-day symposium/networking event called the African Agribusiness Forum. The Forum was attended by all the participants of the MMM program, and invited guests from the South African agribusiness sector. The program featured a keynote address by Dr. Joyce Cacho, Chief Sustainability Officer for Novus Inter-national, and two panels, addressing two key themes for the African agribusiness sector: creating an enabling environment for agribusinesses and preparing for and mitigating the environmental challenges facing the Conti-nent.

Dean Mohammad Karaan (Stellenbosch U.) opened the African Agribusiness Forum

Dr. Joyce Cacho during her keynote address

Ed

The evaluations indicate that overall the program was very well received and participants rated it as highly suc-cessful. The topics covered were relevant to participants’ professional backgrounds. The training materials met participants’ expectations, who found them practical and applicable to their work. Overall participants also felt that facilitators delivered thoughtful presentations and that the learning environment was conducive to discus-sions and debate as well as networking.

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DETAILED REPORT

The aim of the MMM program is to expose African agribusinesses to the latest thinking in marketing strategy, strategic planning, financial analysis, human resource management, business negotiation, and other relevant ideas to enhance their competitiveness and promote better business opportunities. World-class facilitators with extensive experience and knowledge provided participants with practical tools and strategies to increase firm profitability, expand employment, and thus also increase incomes in their communities.

The program offers the following benefits to participants: • Stimulating seminars presented by world-class facilitators. • A participatory approach involving actual market development case studies. • Access to and interactions with representatives from business development services institutions and

emerging businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. • A chance to improve strategic marketing skills. • A set of contemporary marketing and finance training materials.

PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS

The 2010 MMM program participants and facilitators.

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The program drew seventy participants from diverse geographic and occupational backgrounds (See Table 1 for detail). Participants came from ten countries in Africa, represented agribusinesses (35%), seed companies (19%), commodity associations (16%), educational and nongovernmental organizations (16%), government bo-dies (11%), and farmers (4%). To make the learning process more effective, participants were divided into two groups during the first two days, when the program included more interactive learning and small group work utilizing the case studies.

Table 1: Profile of Participants (n=70)

Characteristic Frequency Percent (%)

Gender Male 48 69% Female 22 31%

Nationality Botswana 1 1% Kenya 4 6% Malawi 2 3% Mozambique 1 1% South Africa 52 74% Swaziland 1 1% Tanzania 3 4% Uganda 3 4% Zambia 2 3% Zimbabwe 1 1%

Business type/sector Agribusiness124 34%

Commodity Association 11 16% Education/NGO 11 16% Farmer 3 4% Government 8 11% Seed Company 13 19%

TRAININIG MATERIALS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING

The training materials, provided to each participant upon arrival, presented the building blocks of BDS training in a clear and accessible manner. The classroom sessions were interactive and varied, including lectures, case study analysis, group work, participant presentations, and panel discussions. The workshop’s participatory nature al-lowed participants to benefit from exchanges with facilitators as well as each other.

The MMM programs use case studies as a key teaching tool. This year, participants were introduced to two live industry case studies: Intaba Fruit Processing Pty. Ltd., a South Africa-based company that produces jams and preserves, and Hillside Green Growers, a Kenyan vegetable export company. The case studies were sent to par-ticipants by email before arrival; during the program, representatives of the two companies were on hand to introduce their companies to the participants and to receive participants’ feedback and suggestions.

1 Other than seed companies.

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Farmsecure has a vision to be a valuable contributor to the worlds food supply through creating sustainable and profitable agricultural enterprises. Part of achieving this vision is the unique services we render for Quality Con-trol in fruit. Farmsecure Agri-Sciences conducts Quality Control on site in orchards, pack houses and at cold-storage facilities before the product leaves the port, enabling the exporter to direct the fruit to the best possible market at the right price. Our reporting system is unique in South Africa and in great demand with our clients and our Quality Control service is directly linked to both our own logistical department and that of the exporters.

Agricol is a seed company that has already made deep inroads into the South African and international markets for more than 50 years. Our activities include plant breeding, production, international trade, processing and dis-tribution of seed. The Agricol product range consists of: agronomy crops, lawn and turf grasses, pasture, confec-tionary seed-human consumption, and bird seed.

Further enriching the opportunity for learning, on Friday morning, participants had the opportunity to partici-pate in a field visit to a local agribusiness. Participation in the field trip was optional, and participants were of-fered four field tour options to: Colors, a fruit export company that focuses on sustainable and ethical business practices, FarmSecure, a comprehensive farmer support company, M’hudi Wines, a black, family-owned wine estate, and Agricol, a local seed company. In the end, based on the level of interest two trips were organized to Agricol and to FarmSecure. (See Appendix 6 for the field tour flier.)

The MMM10 group at FarmSecure Oranges packed for export

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Facilitators and Guest Speakers

Table 2 presents the list of facilitators and invited speakers, their institutional affiliations, and their areas of ex-pertise offered in the training program.

Table 2. 2010 MMM workshop facilitators and guest speakers (in alphabetical order) Last Name First name Affiliation Based in: Are of expertise/role:

Brown Michael International Agribusiness Consultant USA Fresh produce marketing

Christy Ralph Cornell University/MM Inc. Ithaca, NY, USA Strategic thinking

Cramer Laura Cornell University/MM Inc. Ithaca, NY, USA Organizer

Gokhale Dilip Shripad Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

Pune, INDIA Seed industry

Jackson Andrew Frito Lay Corp. Houston, TX, USA Business leadership

Jackson Malete Jose University of Botswana Gaborone, BOTSWANA Food safety

Jordaan Danie MM Inc. Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA Organizer

Karaan Mohammad Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA Supply-chain management

Mabaya Edward Cornell University/MM Inc. Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA Marketing

Mathys Cynthia Cornell University Ithaca, NY, USA Organizer

Meyer Zhann Standard Chartered Bank Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA Agribusiness banking

Meyer Lodewyk Bowman Gillfillan Law Firm Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA Legal issues

Mutambatsere Emelly African Development Bank Tunis, TUNISIA Development assistance

Nel Christo Village Consulting Inc. Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA Business leadership

Othata Onkutlwile University of Botswana Gaborone, BOTSWANA Finance

Rangaka Diale M’hudi Wines Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA Business owner

Roberson Quinetta Villanova University Villanova, PA, USA Human Resource Man.

Tihanyi Krisztina MM Inc. Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA Organizer

van Deventer Johan Freshmark/Shoprite Cape Town, South Africa Fresh produce marketing

2010 African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year Award Recipient: John Lennos Makoni

On May 13, 2010, Market Matters Inc. announced its 2010 recipient of the African Agribusiness Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The recognition went to Mr. John Len-nos Makoni (in photo to the left), Chief Executive Officer of Gross Food and Agricul-ture Holdings (Pvt) Ltd Incorporating. A self-described entrepreneur, Makoni summa-rizes his mission as follows: “My mission is to be a force for positive change and to inspire others to greatness through being a catalyst for action and through developing a shared vision of that which is possible under God. I will strive to continually invent the future out of my imagination rather than being a victim of the past. I will strive to choose my way, honouring courage, justice, humility, kindness, understanding, per-sonal integrity and above all God’s natural Laws.” Gross Food Agriculture Holdings: A Company Profile Gross Food Agriculture Holdings (GFAH) was founded by John Lennos Makoni, an agri-culturalist who recognized the opportunities that existed in the agriculture industry after the downturn of agriculture in Zimbabwe from the year 2000. GFAH was incor-porated in 2007 as a holding company to consolidate the interests that John Makoni had in several companies that were involved in the agriculture value chain. The com-pany is the holding company for Pristine Seeds (production and marketing of various

crop seeds), Semente Perfeita (Mozambique), Pristine Seeds Limited (Malawi), Cropchem Zimbabwe (marketing and dis-tributing agro chemicals), Agro Warehouse (marketing and distribution of agro inputs and farm implements and trading in food commodities), Pristine Horticulture (export horticulture and production of organic insecticides and environmental health products based on the insecticidal pyrethrum flower) and Hinplough Agriculture, a farming venture. The vision of GFAH is to be a market leader in quality agro-input delivery to all classes of farmers, while adding value to farmers’ outputs. Its mission is to contribute to the livelihoods of African farmers through quality agro-inputs, while signifi-cantly improving the economic well-being and quality of life of all stakeholders.

*** The award was presented by Professor Ralph Christy (CEO, Market Matters Inc.) and Professor Mohammad Karaan (Dean of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University). Mr. Makoni was accompanied by his wife and business partner, Wendy Makoni.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Written evaluations were conducted at the end of the program. The rest of this report details the results of these evaluations.2 Blank evaluation forms are attached in Appendix 4. The evaluation began by asking partici-pants about their general impressions about the program, including its applicability to their work, the quality of presenters and materials. Table 3 below shows the vast majority (90% and above) of participants in both groups were satisfied or highly satisfied with the program overall. One exception was the question of whether the pro-gram was applicable to one’s job, where 17% responded “neutral” to the question. Despite this, over 93% of participants said they would recommend the program to colleagues.

Table 3. Participants’ general impressions about the MMM 10 program.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS Group3 Strongly Disagree Neutral

Strongly Agree

The workshop has met my expectations Group A 3.4% 3.4% 44.8% 48.3% Group B 7.1% 21.4% 71.4%

The workshop is applicable to my job Group A 17.2% 31.0% 51.7% Group B 7.1% 17.9% 75.0%

I will recommend this workshop to my colleagues Group A 6.9% 17.2% 75.9% Group B 10.7% 17.9% 71.4%

The program was well paced within the allotted time Group A 3.6% 10.7% 50.0% 35.7% Group B 3.7% 37.0% 59.3%

The instructors were good communicators Group A 41.4% 58.6% Group B 3.6% 14.3% 82.1%

The materials were presented in an organized manner Group A 6.9% 24.1% 69.0% Group B 3.6% 17.9% 78.6%

The instructors were knowledgeable on the topic Group A 25.9% 74.1%

Evaluation of the program’s educational value

Next, we asked participants to consider the educational value of each presentation, ranking each presentation on a scale of 1-5. The responses in Table 4 show the average score each presentation received. All but one of the presentations were rated at least 4 out of 5 by both groups. The exception was the parallel session on “Le-gal Structuring Techniques in Agriculture Financing,” but it must be noted that since this was a parallel session, the evaluation was completed only by those participants who attended it. Overall, the presentations were rated highly although it is interesting to note that seed company participants seemed to rate presentations lower in general than agribusiness participants. This may be due to the fact that some of the seed company participants had attended the workshop before, or it may be a reflection of the overall higher level of existing training and knowledge by participants in the seed group.

2 The analysis is based on 69 evaluations. 3 Given the overall size of the group, participants were divided into two groups of about 35 each to allow for more interac-tive classroom sessions. The two groups covered the same materials, but at different times, and therefore they each com-pleted a slightly different evaluation.

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Table 4. Participants’ evaluations of the sessions.

Presentation (Speaker) Group Average Rating

Monday (Strategic Management) Strategies For Business Growth (Ralph Christy) Group A 4.46Marketing Strategy Group B 4.36Hillside Case Study Discussion/ Analysis Group A 4.11

Group B 4.31Dinner Speaker (Diale Rangaka) Group A 4.04

Group B 4.22

Tuesday (Marketing Management) The End of Cheap Food (Zhann Meyer) Group A 4.00

Group B 4.33Freshmark Presentation (Johan van Deventer) Group A 4.14

Group B 4.37Marketing Strategy (Ed Mabaya) Group A 4.38Strategic Thinking (Ralph Christy) Group B 4.59Intaba Case Study Discussion/Analysis Group A 4.07

Group B 4.07Dinner Speaker (Christo Nel) Group A 4.11

Group B 4.67

Wednesday (Human Resource Management) Developing HR Competencies (Quinetta Roberson) Group A 4.50

Group B 4.64Trust and Servant Leadership (Andrew Jackson) Group A 4.69

Group B 4.75Business Negotiation (Ed Mabaya/ Kriszta Tihanyi) Group A 4.00

Group B 4.31

Parallel Sessions4 Managing a Successful Seed Enterprise Group A 4.64

Group B 4.00Safety and Quality in the Marketing Chain Group A 4.29

Group B 4.60Managing your money - A Primer Group A 4.67

Group B 4.32Legal Structuring Techniques in Ag. Financing Group A 3.25

Group B 4.83

4 Parallel sessions were attended by smaller groups of participants ranging from 3-15.

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Evaluation of instruction methods

Participants were also asked to rate the educational value of the various instructional methods and tools (Table 5). The large majority (at least 85%) of participants reported having learnt a great deal from the group assign-ments, the case studies, and the open consultations. The responses of Group B tended to be slightly more fa-vorable than those of Group A.

Table 5. Participants’ evaluations of the teaching tools.

Teaching tool Group Learnt very little

Learnt a great deal

Group Assignments & Presentations Group A 14% 43% 43% Group B 0% 4% 43% 54%

Use of Case Studies Group A 7% 39% 54% Group B 0% 0% 4% 23% 73%

Open Consultations Group A 4% 11% 32% 54% Group B 0% 0% 40% 60%

Evaluation of program logistics

Next, participants were asked to rate various logistical aspects of the program. The majority of participants were satisfied with logistical arrangements in general; however, a few trends in the responses are important to note. The highest rated were the Monday and Tuesday evening programs and the teas and lunches in general. Participants were also satisfied with the networking opportunities offered during the week. On the negative side, while most people were happy with the information and communication prior to arrival, a few apparently were not satisfied with the level or quality of the communication. This may be due to the fact that a number of participants had to deal with three different organizations in the registration phase, which may have caused some communication problems. Most importantly, the ratings pertaining to the venue (the Lord Charles Hotel) – conference room and hotel accommodations – have changed noticeably since last year, with more participants giving lower ratings to both, especially in Group A. This observation corresponds’ with feedback from organiz-ers, facilitators, and a few participants, who felt that the standards of quality had decreased at the hotel. This feedback will warrant a closer look at the venue selection in 2011.

Table 6. Evaluation of program logistics.

Program logistics Group Poor Average Excellent Information & Communication prior to arrival Group A 4% 11% 25% 61%

Group B 7% 32% 61% Opening reception/ Dinner (Sunday) Group A 17% 43% 39%

Group B 12% 31% 58% Dinner at Neethlingshof Winery (Monday) Group A 7% 37% 56%

Group B 7% 18% 75% Dinner at Kleine Zalze (Tuesday) Group A 11% 44% 44%

Group B 11% 21% 68% Conference Room Group A 20% 20% 60%

Group B 27% 73%

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Lodging/accommodations (Lord Charles Hotel) Group A 19% 31% 50% Group B 20% 80%

Tea break & lunches Group A 7% 45% 48% Group B 15% 85%

Opportunity to get to know other participants Group A 7% 39% 54% Group B 11% 32% 57%

Participants were also asked to rate the amount of free time available during the program. The majority of par-ticipants felt that free time was adequate, with only a few individuals stating that free time was either too little or too much.

Amount of free time Group Too little Enough Too muchAmount of free time Group A 4% 7% 61% 25% 4%

Group B 0% 21% 50% 18% 11%

Open-ended feedback about the program The second part of the evaluation asked participants to give feedback, in their own words, about aspects of the program they found useful and those that needed improvement in future programs. We have only minimally edited these responses to maintain the originality of participants’ feedback. In addition, we asked participants to list topical areas on which they would like to receive additional training. Overall the responses below show that there is still a significant need for business training for African SMEs. The responses also show that participants greatly value the educational and networking experience offered by the MMM program and that many of them leave the week-long event energized and motivated to tackle the challenges facing their businesses and organi-zations.

Responses to open-ended questions - agribusinesses

What are the training needs of your company/organization? The table lists the various topics (training needs), the level of training needed, and the frequency with which participants listed the particular topic. The most frequently listed areas were human resource management, marketing strategy, and finance. The five most frequently listed topics are highlighted in green below.

Topic Introductory level

Intermediate level

Advanced level

Group A Total

Group B Total

Total for groups

Africa Exports (Fruit and Veg) 1 0 1 1

Agricultural Management 1 0 1 1

Business Development 1 2 2 3 2 5

Business Negotiation 2 1 1 2

Business Planning 1 1 1 1 2 3

Case Study Analysis 3 2 1 3

Communication 9 8 4 1 20 21

Developing Skills Management 3 2 0 5 5

Employee Skills Development 1 0 1 1

Entrepreneurship 3 3 4 1 9 10

Exports 2 2 4 1 7 8

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Farm Business Management 3 3 5 1 10 11

Farm Mechanisation 1 0 1 1

Financial Management 2 4 3 8 1 9

Human Resource Management 2 1 2 4 1 5

Leadership 1 1 1 2 1 3

Management 2 1 2 1 3

Marketing Management 1 7 6 12 2 14

Markets Matter 1 0 1 1

Motivating Employees 1 0 1 1

Networking Opportunities 1 1 1 1 2

Procurement and Logistics 1 1 1

Project Management 1 1 2 2

Sales Skills 1 1 1

Strategic Planning 2 5 7 7

Sustainability 1 1 1

In your opinion, what were the best aspects of the program? • As a manager to the Forum of Senior citizens in Greater Philippi, I really grasped a lot. • Very educational • Financial Management • All very relevant • Networking, getting ideas and guidance of almost all aspects of management • Level of quality of speakers and presentations • Dialogue and debate • Case study analysis, in fact, all of them because the basics or lecture presentations given prior the case studies

analysis were useful refreshers in terms of doing the actual case study analysis • Networking • Ability to bring together participants from different countries with different backgrounds and experiences. • To meet business people of Africa • The topics ere more informative to more of the participants and marketing issues were covered in detail. • The excellent way in which the instructors conducted themselves. • Marketing strategy • Well organized • Presentations – Human Resources Management. Group Work – Case Studies. • The simplicity and clarity of presentations • To have knowledge of leading • Interacting with other emerging farmers form the African continent. The presentations were relevant and

globally informed • The case study analysis because they were encouraging the emerging farmers to work very hard so that they

can be sustainable • Marketing and branding of product. Human relations impact on business. Leadership role in business • Analyzing case studies

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• The presentation of Andrew Jackson – Leadership and Trust. Quinetta Roberson - HR • Strategic business growth • Program is well structured. Topics on different days complete the whole marketing spectrum. • “End of Cheap Food.” • Highly qualified facilitators • Getting ideas and guidance • HR Competencies, Diale Rangaka. • Marketing management • How to have better knowledge and solve problems if you make mistakes • Networking, guest speakers, lectures, case studies • In general the “teachers” were good. • Combination of practical experience of participants, and instructors through active participation • The vast experience of facilitators • Combination of practical experience of participants, and instructors through active participation • The case study. They forced us to think and to come up with a plan of action. It has taught us how to handle

issues/challenges within our own companies. • Participatory approach • Guest speaker presentation (Personal expensive sharing) • Meet people – network opportunity. Learn more in the direction of organization. • We have learnt very good management issues as well as how to build trust in our human resources.

In your opinion what where the weak aspects of the program? • Instructors accent in pronouncing words need to be improved for better communication • Rooms too cold • Change the venue • Get facilitators from other African countries • Group case presentation, was not to my expectations • Too short duration for the sessions • World bank figures would be helpful • NEPAD and its programs, International Union farmers association • Take one step back in Human Resources and include people sourcing and recruitment. It’s essential to recruit

the right people. • In terms of case studies, I think is better to bring the successful business company from previously disadvan-

taged countries. • Some topics like human resources management may require shortening in content, but made more detailed in

a few areas. • It would be great to have a global perspective on farm mechanization service industry. • No weak points. The program was more advanced and it has accommodated different stake holders. • The whole workshop needs more than four days • Having some printed handout of parallel sessions • Our level of understanding is not the same. Maybe if some of us could be given more time or have someone to

at least explain certain things in our own language if possible

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• Time management of different speakers and facilitators. Do not rush through your work. • Managing your money • We want to talk more of upcoming farmers • Lecture material distribution- soft copy • Case studies based on agro inputs (seeds) • Company representatives small presentation or how they have managed to use the studies and networking to

improve their performances • Seating arrangements. With the early morning sessions, the U-shape arrangement makes it difficult to see the

screens during the presentations. It’s better in the break-away sessions where there are fewer people.

In your own words, how would you describe to a colleague your experience in this program? • Very powerful, so advanced according to my educational level. It’s for the people already well developed. • It was excellent packaging of a wealth of knowledge within 5 days. That which takes months/years to acquire • I shall encourage them to come meet you. • A great opportunity to learn and to sharpen our business skills. It is presented by people who are both know-

ledgeable and passionate about their fields of expertise. • Excellent • The program offers a valuable experience on matters related to agribusiness. Case studies are real and not

fictitious. • Developing the entrepreneur and support • Awesome and groundbreaking • Very informative and excellent. Definitely a “must attend” • Really good experience and highly educational • I learned new things that I did not know, very educational. • You learn about other African farmers • That you have chosen the best lecturers in the country • To share one’s views with other people • Stimulating, educating and rejuvenating experience • Very informative, eye opening and open door to networking with diverse businesses • The program was well organized and speakers were knowledgeable about the topics • Don’t miss out. • Rejuvenating. • If you have an interest in sustainability and development of African relevant agric and agro opportunity you

have to be part of MMM. • if he wants to learn more about strategy, he should attend • Added value • Good • I gained a lot • It is a very good program given enough time to learn • Fantastic • The program was very interesting. It shows the direction to everyone by the presentations that were done

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• Existing. It teaches you what you already know but giving you a force to put into action in your company. This is because of the practical and theoretical approaches.

• It is inspiring, motivating and builds the sense of responsibility and confidence in yourself being a leader or a marketing officer.

• I’ve learnt a lot and would like to have additional information at hand after the course • Educative and exciting • The program is very educational and reviving • Learning a lot. Chance to know the common thoughts about marketing internationally. • Best eye opening , motivating, reality, encouraging • Energetic, motivational, fun way of making serious matter in MMM so much easier • Excellent – need to attend next workshop. • There are serious upcoming small business entrepreneurs from different parts of Africa • Eye opener; can boost my performance immensely. Requirement for good and profitable operative of agribu-

siness in a context of South African market. • Wonderful • The program was spot on with in-depth knowledge of the industry • Educational and you can take the relevant stuff that is applicable to your business and implement it. Your all of

MMM are the bomb! • The program was very informative in terms of both theoretical and practical work. I also enjoyed the analysis

wrap up by the facilitators; it also gave me an idea of how I can analyze my own case studies that are still to be conducted.

Are there any other comments you would like to share with us? • The cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner in my opinion is expensive. Think of giving reasonable subsistence and

travelling allowance rather. • Your education is good. • Thank you for hard work in putting the conference together, it shows! • This is my 3rd time attending this course. It has always been very educative and influential to our growth which

is between 60 – 100% annually. We are always ready to sponsor more people to attend because we see value and benefits in it.

• Brilliant and thanks a million for giving me the great opportunities MMM • You are really excellent, thank you very much • I would like to say keep up the good work • Keep it up • There should be handbooks written in other languages. • The case study idea is very realistic. It makes one’s brain wake up and spring into action. It should be used even

more. • Excellent facilitators and expertise • Thank you to the MMM staff members for their friendly and courteous manner. Excellent people`s skills. • Keep up the good work. Thanks!!!! • Provide some kind of entertainment at dinners

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• Just carry on with the program and make the government aware of its importance. If possible may you conduct it in other provinces as well

• Can you also invite buyers of produce especially further up in Africa so that we can network? Farmers do not buy from farmers.

• All the topics were expertly dealt with • Continue the program for year to come • Please include us in other programs like this. • The course is good but bring it to East Africa and make more companies participate • There is need to have different case studies from different agribusiness units from different parts of Africa. • We just wish you well in the next program to come • Please involve SA graduate as well • What about continuity? Invite and empower the group for three years to real level of good commercial far-

mers. • Financial management should be considered in future programs