AgriSETA’s registered learning directory gives South Africans access to 125 agricultural training pathways, covering farming, livestock, crops, grain, horticulture, poultry and food processing. However, these options are registered programmes rather than 125 vacancies currently accepting applications.
The programmes combine formal education with practical workplace experience and lead towards recognised agricultural qualifications. Depending on the pathway, candidates can enter at different National Qualifications Framework levels and progress from farm-worker training to technical, supervisory or management development.
Importantly, the 2026–2027 discretionary-grant window for employers and implementing organisations closed on 15 September 2025. Therefore, individual candidates should wait for separate learner recruitment notices from agricultural employers, colleges, commodity organisations and accredited training providers.
What does the list of 125 AgriSETA programmes mean?
The 125 figure refers to registered learning options across different agricultural occupations and qualification levels.
It does not mean that one employer currently has 125 available placements. Instead, the directory shows the qualifications that approved employers and training providers may use when they receive funding or establish a suitable workplace programme.
For example, the official directory includes pathways in:
- Farm ownership and farm work
- Animal production
- Plant production
- Mixed farming systems
- Fruit packaging and grading
- Agricultural sales and services
- Agricultural machinery
- Grain handling and milling
- Horticulture and landscaping
- Poultry production and processing
- Red-meat and abattoir processes
- Seed production and processing
- Sugar production and processing
- Pest-control operations
Therefore, candidates should first choose a field that matches their education, interests and local agricultural activity.
Which agricultural sectors can recruit learners?
AgriSETA supports primary agriculture and the first level of secondary agricultural processing.
Its work covers 11 broad subsectors:
- Red meat
- Horticulture
- Grains and cereals
- Fibre
- Poultry
- Aquaculture
- Milling, pet food and animal feed
- Pest control
- Seed
- Sugar
- Tobacco
These subsectors include farming as well as activities such as grain storage, food processing, seed marketing, poultry packing, agricultural machinery sales and horticultural production.
As a result, AgriSETA programmes do not focus only on people who want to work directly on farms. Technical, processing, logistics, quality-control, sales and management pathways may also become available.
How does an AgriSETA learnership work?
An AgriSETA learnership combines theoretical education with supervised practical experience.
The learner completes structured training through an approved provider. Meanwhile, a participating employer provides the workplace exposure needed to develop occupational competence. Successful participants can earn a qualification recognised across South Africa.
A typical learnership may include:
- Classroom or provider-led training
- Practical workplace duties
- Guidance from a supervisor or mentor
- Assignments and assessments
- A workplace logbook or portfolio
- Attendance and performance requirements
- A formal learning agreement
Consequently, candidates must commit to both parts of the programme. Attending classes without completing the workplace component will not satisfy the full qualification requirements.
Which farming pathways appear in the programme directory?
The registered directory includes several entry-level and advanced farming pathways.
Candidates may find programmes such as:
- Farm Owner: Agronomy
- Farm Owner: Animal Husbandry
- Farm Owner: Horticulture
- Farm Worker: Agronomy
- Farm Worker: Animal Husbandry
- Farm Worker: Horticulture
- Farm Worker or Owner
- Junior Farm Manager
The programme level determines the learning depth and entry requirements. For example, entry-level programmes may focus on foundational production skills, while higher-level pathways can include planning, supervision, resource management and agricultural business responsibilities.
Therefore, candidates should not select a programme by title alone. They should also check the National Qualifications Framework level and the employer’s minimum education requirements.
What do animal-production learnerships cover?
Animal-production pathways range from introductory learning to higher-level production and management programmes.
Depending on the qualification, learners may develop competence in:
- Livestock care
- Feeding and nutrition
- Animal health monitoring
- Breeding practices
- Record keeping
- Grazing and veld management
- Production planning
- Farm supervision
AgriSETA’s directory lists animal-production learnerships from National Qualifications Framework Level 1 through Level 5.
However, the actual duties will depend on the host workplace. A dairy farm, poultry producer, game farm and red-meat operation will not provide identical practical experience.
How can plant-production programmes build crop skills?
Plant-production learnerships can prepare candidates for work in crop farming, horticulture and related agricultural businesses.
The registered pathways cover National Qualifications Framework Levels 1 to 5. As learners progress, programmes may move from basic crop-production tasks towards planning, quality management, supervision and agricultural enterprise development.
Practical learning may include:
- Soil preparation
- Planting
- Irrigation
- Crop maintenance
- Pest and disease monitoring
- Harvesting
- Record keeping
- Quality control
- Sustainable production practices
Moreover, plant-production skills can support work in vegetable farming, fruit production, nurseries, field crops and commercial agricultural operations.
What opportunities exist in grain and agricultural machinery?
The grain sector offers some of AgriSETA’s most specialised registered pathways.
The official programme directory includes:
- Agricultural Sales and Service
- Agricultural Machinery Technician
- Specialist Agricultural Machinery Technician
- Agricultural Trade Processes
- Grain Handling Process
- Grain Handling Management
- Grain Milling
- Grain Cleaning
- Grain Storage and Processing
These qualifications can support careers in storage facilities, milling operations, agricultural dealerships, machinery workshops and grain-handling businesses.
Therefore, candidates with technical interests should not overlook agriculture. Modern farming depends on equipment diagnostics, mechanical maintenance, production technology and efficient storage systems.
Which horticulture and landscaping programmes are registered?
Candidates interested in plants, nurseries and outdoor environments can explore horticulture and landscaping pathways.
The directory includes a General Education and Training Certificate in Horticulture at National Qualifications Framework Level 1 and a National Certificate in Landscaping at Level 3.
Training may develop skills in:
- Plant propagation
- Nursery work
- Soil preparation
- Garden construction
- Irrigation
- Plant selection
- Landscape maintenance
- Safe tool use
Consequently, participants may gain experience relevant to commercial farms, nurseries, landscaping businesses, municipalities, estates and public facilities.
What can learners study in poultry and food processing?
AgriSETA’s poultry directory covers both production and processing.
Registered qualifications include poultry production at Levels 1 to 3 and poultry processing at Levels 1 to 3. Meanwhile, milling and animal-feed pathways cover areas such as automated filling, batch coating, ingredient storage and food-safety processes.
These programmes may prepare participants for work in:
- Poultry farms
- Hatcheries
- Processing facilities
- Feed-manufacturing plants
- Packing operations
- Quality-control environments
- Agricultural food-production businesses
However, candidates should check the physical and workplace requirements before accepting a placement because agricultural production can involve shift work, protective equipment and strict hygiene standards.
Who may qualify for an AgriSETA learnership?
Eligibility changes according to the qualification, employer and workplace.
Generally, a learner advertisement may require candidates to:
- Be South African citizens
- Meet the education requirements of the qualification
- Remain available for theoretical and workplace training
- Live within the employer’s recruitment area
- Submit certified supporting documents
- Meet any technical or programme-specific requirements
The 2026–2027 funding guidelines state that only South African citizens qualify for funded learning programmes. However, employers still determine the final learner-selection criteria.
Depending on the intake, candidates may need Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12 or a relevant technical qualification.
How much can unemployed learners receive?
The 2026–2027 discretionary-grant notice allocated R24,000 per unemployed learnership participant, calculated at R3,000 per month for eight months.
However, this represents the funding allocation stated in that grant notice. It should not automatically be treated as the final payment for every learner or every programme.
AgriSETA’s general frequently asked questions separately refer to a minimum stipend of R3,339 per learner per month. Because the published figures differ, candidates should rely on the allowance stated in the current learner advertisement and signed learning agreement.
Employed participants do not receive an additional learner allowance under the 2026–2027 learnership funding rules because they already receive employment income.
Do skills programmes include a monthly allowance?
AgriSETA skills programmes provide shorter, focused training built from unit standards linked to the same qualification.
The 2026–2027 grant notice limited these programmes to 60 credits and allocated R200 per credit per learner. However, it specifically stated that skills programmes do not include a learner allowance.
The funding framework includes skills programmes for:
- Employed workers
- Unemployed participants
- Land-reform beneficiaries
- People living with disabilities
- Seasonal agricultural workers
Therefore, candidates should distinguish a skills programme from a learnership. A learnership usually combines a larger qualification with workplace training, while a skills programme addresses a smaller group of learning outcomes.
How can agricultural bursaries support students?
AgriSETA bursary funding supports agriculture-related qualifications for unemployed learners.
For the 2026–2027 funding cycle, the authority set a maximum value of R70,800 per undergraduate or postgraduate learner, with approved costs paid at actual value up to that limit.
The guidelines state that:
- Funding generally starts at National Qualifications Framework Level 6
- Public college National Accredited Technical Education Diploma courses can qualify as an exception
- Short courses and general certificates do not qualify
- Continuing students must reapply
- Continuing students need at least 50% achievement in registered modules
- Repeat modules do not receive funding
First-year students were also encouraged to seek support during the applicable funding period.
However, the 2026–2027 organisational application window has closed. Students should therefore monitor future AgriSETA funding announcements and institutional financial-aid communication.
How does Work Integrated Learning help college students?
Work Integrated Learning supports students who need practical experience to complete a qualification.
Under the 2026–2027 framework, AgriSETA allocated up to R60,000 per learner for University of Technology and Agricultural College placements lasting no more than 12 months. Meanwhile, qualifying National N6 learners from public Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges could receive 18-month placements funded at R90,000 per learner.
These figures represent the full funding allocation to the programme, not necessarily the amount paid directly to the student.
A suitable placement can help learners:
- Complete compulsory practical experience
- Build technical competence
- Use agricultural systems and equipment
- Maintain a workplace logbook
- Develop communication and teamwork
- Satisfy diploma requirements
However, the workplace duties must match the learner’s qualification.
What do graduate-placement programmes offer?
AgriSETA supports separate placements for college and university graduates who have completed their qualifications but need workplace experience.
The 2026–2027 funding notice provided for 12-month placements valued at R60,000 per learner for both qualifying college graduates and university graduates.
Graduate placements can help participants:
- Apply their academic knowledge
- Develop professional experience
- Improve workplace confidence
- Build industry references
- Understand agricultural operations
- Strengthen future submissions
- Explore employment or self-employment
However, the funding amount should not be presented as the graduate’s monthly stipend. The host organisation will confirm the actual allowance and programme conditions.
How does artisan development support technical careers?
AgriSETA’s artisan-development pathway supports candidates entering recognised agricultural and engineering trades.
The 2026–2027 grant framework allocated R206,290 per contracted learner over three years. It also included Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning funding for experienced employed and unemployed candidates.
Possible artisan pathways may connect to:
- Agricultural machinery
- Mechanical maintenance
- Electrical systems
- Fitting and turning
- Mill operations
- Processing equipment
- Irrigation systems
- Workshop services
An apprenticeship combines occupational knowledge, practical institutional training and extensive workplace experience before the learner attempts a trade test.
How can mentorship support emerging farmers?
AgriSETA’s rural mentorship intervention supports functional agricultural cooperatives, land-reform beneficiaries and individual small farmers.
The programme requires mentorship applications to link to a recognised beneficiary organisation. Furthermore, the 2026–2027 guidelines excluded start-ups and required a minimum group of five people receiving mentorship.
Mentorship may help participants strengthen:
- Production planning
- Financial record keeping
- Agricultural business management
- Market access
- Resource management
- Compliance
- Sustainable farming practices
However, this funding route targets organisations and established agricultural projects rather than individual candidates seeking one training placement.
Are digital agricultural skills included?
AgriSETA’s 2026–2027 partnership priorities included Fourth Industrial Revolution programmes linked to agriculture.
The listed focus areas included:
- Cybersecurity
- Drone technology
- Data science
- Digital product design
These skills can support precision agriculture, farm monitoring, digital record keeping, equipment management and data-led production decisions.
However, candidates should wait for an approved organisation to publish a current learner intake. The partnership funding notice itself did not serve as a direct learner application.
Which documents should candidates prepare?
Employers and providers may advertise intakes for a limited period. Therefore, candidates should prepare a complete document pack early.
Common requirements may include:
- An updated curriculum vitae
- A certified South African identity document
- A certified school certificate
- Relevant college or tertiary qualifications
- A complete academic record
- Proof of residence
- A workplace-placement letter
- Proof of registration
- A driver’s licence for selected technical programmes
- Programme-specific supporting documents
Candidates should scan every page clearly and check the certification period stated in the advertisement.
In addition, professional file names make documents easier to identify. For example:
- Thandi_Mokoena_Curriculum_Vitae.pdf
- Thandi_Mokoena_Identity_Document.pdf
- Thandi_Mokoena_Academic_Record.pdf
Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Do not send learner documents to an expired discretionary-grant email address. Those addresses served employers, colleges and other implementing organisations. Instead, identify the agricultural employer or accredited provider recruiting learners and follow its current instructions exactly.
How can candidates access AgriSETA programmes?
Candidates can review available qualification fields through the official AgriSETA registered learnerships directory. The directory lists recognised pathways and their National Qualifications Framework levels, although it does not guarantee that every programme has a current intake.
Candidates should also monitor:
- Agricultural employers
- Accredited training providers
- Public Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges
- Agricultural colleges
- Universities and universities of technology
- Commodity organisations
- Cooperatives
- Agricultural non-profit organisations
Before submitting documents, applicants should:
- Confirm that recruitment remains open.
- Check the qualification level.
- Verify the employer and training provider.
- Read the eligibility criteria.
- Confirm the training area and workplace location.
- Check the programme duration.
- Verify the learner allowance.
- Submit before the closing date.
Candidates should never pay someone who promises guaranteed entry into a funded learnership.
Does completing a learnership guarantee permanent employment?
Completing an AgriSETA learnership does not guarantee permanent employment.
However, successful participants can gain a recognised qualification, practical agricultural experience and evidence of occupational competence. These benefits may strengthen future employment, self-employment and further-learning opportunities.
Furthermore, learners may progress from entry-level qualifications into advanced production, technical or management pathways.
The value of the programme therefore extends beyond one workplace placement. It can establish a foundation for long-term growth within agriculture and related processing industries.
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Final Thoughts
AgriSETA learnerships for 2026 cover 125 registered pathways across farming, horticulture, livestock, grain, poultry, agricultural machinery, food processing and other agricultural fields.
However, the list represents recognised programme options rather than 125 vacancies currently accepting applications.
The 2026–2027 discretionary-grant application period for implementing organisations closed on 15 September 2025. Therefore, learner recruitment will depend on separate announcements from funded employers, agricultural colleges, accredited training providers and participating organisations.
Candidates should identify the qualification that matches their interests, prepare clear supporting documents and respond only through the authorised channel in a current learner notice.
