KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa is pleased to announce the appointment of Agribusiness Development Agency’s (ADA) Board members. This took place at the ADA's offices in Pietermaritzburg.

ADA also acts as project manager for Ntingwe Tea Estate situated in Nkandla and Makhathini Irrigation Scheme found in Jozini. Appointing the new members, kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said that the appointment comes at the right time as the previous Board's term of office ended on 14 September 2024. "We would like to welcome the new Board members with warm hands. We expect this Board to contribute towards bringing change in the agricultural sector. There's no doubt that we look forward to working with you on strategic planning and direction as well as providing an oversight for the entity. We depend on you to steer the ship in the right direction. With a multitude of talents and skills possessed by the members of the Board, I am confident that you will take the entity to new heights."

The appointment follows the advertisement that was aimed at inviting potential candidates to take over from the old Board.

The newly appointed Board Chairperson is Sibusiso Lucky Gumbi and will be deputised by Ntokozo Innocent Mafuleka. Mr Gumbi has heaped praises on the MEC for her role in ensuring the Board was timeously instituted. He said of his new responsibility and role, "I wish to thank the MEC. The Honourable MEC is a seasoned politician with almost four decades as a civil servant. She is a woman of vision and is meticulous and does not like mediocre services. Those traits will keep us on our toes as we guide the organization in the right direction. With so much expertise and top talent at our disposal ranging from legalese to agricultural skills, we are surely not going to be spectators but be active in how the organization should be going. We have a mixture of both old and young members who are vibrant, enthusiastic and go-getters with their eyes on the ball."

ADA was created by the KwaZulu-Natal government to support the development of emergent black commercial farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs in the province. The agency's objective is to redress the economic inequalities in the agricultural sector in the province. The Board's term is three years.