Mobile Agri Skills Development and Training (MASDT)

MASDT was established in 2005 as a Training Service Provider in the Agriculture Sector in Mpumalanga, South Africa, but changed to a Non Profit Company (NPC), incorporated in terms of Section 21 of the Companies Act in 2007. The organization has diversified from merely a training providing institution to become a “One Stop Centre” for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SME’s) in the Agricultural Sector. MASDT provides a comprehensive and integrated range of support services in agriculture to emerging farmers located in often remote rural areas. MASDT aims to develop emerging farmers over a three year incubation period to the point where they can sustainably generate both income and employment from their agricultural businesses. MASDT is mobile; instead of expecting the rural poor to travel to education centres in towns and cities, MASDT brings the training as well as support services to the farm gates. In this way, MASDT creates space for practical learning on the emerging farmers’ land while they continue with their farming activities.