WIPHOLD Agriculture is the realisation of WIPHOLD’s broader vision to build capacity and operational excellence throughout the agriculture value chain. WIPHOLD Agriculture includes two operational units: WIPHOLD Agriculture Company that hosts the farming operations; and WIP Equipment that procures and leases the production machinery to projects.

This strategy was based on the commercial opportunities that arose from WIPHOLD’s involvement in developing community farming projects in the Eastern Cape for over a decade. WIPHOLD has experienced successful partnerships with local communities to harness the combined benefits of their communal land. The commercial maize farming project covered 2 500 hectares in the Centane-Mbashe region of the Eastern Cape and had benefited around 2 300 landowners by 2023. In 2015, Old Mutual and Nedbank became co-funders of this strategic operation through the provision of patient loan financing.

Supplementary to primary maize farming activity, WIPHOLD is pursuing upstream and downstream investment opportunities to extend its influence throughout the farming value chain.