Agriculture Jobs

Depending on where you live and how far away you can afford to travel and board for study purposes, the most weighty options are Stellenbosch University (the Faculty of AgriSciences is highly regarded for its agricultural education and research), the University of Pretoria (its Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences offers a variety of differently-focused agricultural science degrees), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (where agricultural programs at the School of AgriSciences are considered top-class), the North-West University (a leading institution for agricultural education in that region), and the University of Mpumalanga (UMP’s) undergraduate and postgraduate courses via its School of Agricultural Sciences.

 Alternatively, to hit the ground running in a shorter space of time – where a job is guaranteed and you simply need the basics to add to your general feel for this professional route – one of the below may offer just what you need:

• Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, which takes pride in its focus on agricultural skills development and training;
• Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), which offers programmes in agriculture through its Faculty of Applied Science; and
• Central University of Technology (CUT), which offers a range of programmes, including agricultural management, animal sciences, and crop production, through its department of agriculture.

Even if working in the agricultural sector is a calling, it always helps to be able to provide a high standard of living to your family. In South Africa, higher-paying agriculture jobs typically involve management and specialised roles – such as a farm manager, a production superintendent, or a group chief financial officer (CFO job) in agriculture.

There is also money to be made in tech roles, such as for example a sales engineer (agricultural solar products), and management roles spanning across packhouses, feed mills, or regional herbicide management.

Alternatively, study a course that sees you specialising in:

• animal health/veterinary science (specifically poultry or dairy);
• a human resource (HR) executive (for an agriculture-focused business);
• a plant pathologist or mycologist (to help the industry in diagnosing and addressing plant diseases and fungal issues, to maintain crop health);
• a biotechnologist or bioinformatician, (who develops and applies biotechnology and bioinformatics to improve agricultural practices);
• an agricultural/farming consultant (who earns well consulting on their expertise to farms and businesses in need).

Typical salary ranges within this sector are laid out below:

• farm manager, between R124k and R608k per month (average R292 319);
• operations manager, between R31k and R789k per month (average R400k);
• financial manager, between R56k and R858k per month (average R557 830);
• HR manager, between R194k and R656k per month (average R437 260);
• office manager, between R96k and R629k (average R247 729);
• payroll administrator, between R166k and R366k per month (average R211 234);
• agronomist, between R36k and R1 million per month (average R335 171).

A selection of the most popular employers in the agricultural niche in South Africa, includes:

• Tongaat Hulett, known for its sugar production;
• Pioneer Foods, which processes and produces meat and cereals;
• Astral Foods, a large poultry producer;<
• AFGRI, which has interests across the agribusiness realm;
• African Grain & Seed, a business focused on grain & seed trade;
• Karsten, an agricultural producer with interests across fruit, livestock, and game farming.

According to industry experts, such as Farmer’s Weekly and others, “export quality” produce in South African must meet specific standards that are outlined in the regulations. This includes being:

• of high quality;
• free from defects;
• conforming to packing and marking requirements;
• free from harmful substances or pests;
• compliant with both local and international standards for food safety and plant health

While we can’t speak for every job portal that promotes agriculture-focused roles in the country, the following jobs are in thick supply on the Executive Placements portal, under agriculture jobs:

• junior production manager, Cape Winelands;
• dairy manager, Cookhouse;
• farm manager, Durban;
• pine harvesting supervisor, Greytown;
• financial controller, Stellenbosch;
• technical advisor – agrochemicals, Pretoria;
• HR manager, Wolseley;
• dairy manager, Ixopo;
• harvest manager, George;
• citrus farm manager,
• agriculture sales rep/product developer, Nelspruit.

The Farming Handbook, by Barry Smith, is a great read for those in agriculture, as it combines a wide range of relevant subjects and diverse enterprises in one easy-to-use volume. From a conferencing perspective, select between the 8^th Annual African Agri Investment Indaba 2025, taking place at the Cape Town Convention Centre between 23 and 26 November, a variety of AgriSA sponsored events, and the Agri-Expo Events (i.e. the South African Cheese Festival and the SA Dairy Championship), which can be viewed here.