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Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and the Land Bank Insurance Company (LBIC) signed a twinning Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2018 that has seen to the enrolment of 20 postgraduate students into the newly established Agricultural Insurance Assessment Development Programme at the university.
The academic programme which is fully funded by LBIC commenced on 25 March, 2019 and lectured by WSU’s Faculty of Natural Sciences academic staff.
The Agricultural Insurance Assessors Development Programme has been developed by LBIC to identify and train agricultural economist (or equivalent) graduates in crop insurance assessment protocols to service the agricultural sector.
“Land Bank support the entry of previously excluded groups within agriculture to the commercial farming sector and provides developmental support throughout the agriculture value chain. We believe that the programme will help achieve our objectives and provide the necessary tools within our scope to support emerging farmers and farming communities” said Dini Nondumo, the Executive Manager – Sales & Distribution at LBIC.
The programme is being rolled out for the first time in partnership with WSU in the Eastern Cape.
Preference was given to people from the Eastern Cape; from identified places such as Qamata, Matatiele, Magwa etc. for the pilot of first in-take, with the initial number of 25 candidates.
Upon successful completion of the programme the candidates will receive a Certificate in Crop Insurance Assessment which will be SAQA and Council for Higher Education accredited at an NQF level 5 and 6.
The programme and subsequent certification will provide value add within the field of agriculture, with agronomy and agricultural risk assessment being the main features.
According to Yonela Tukwayo the WSU spokesperson. “Walter Sisulu University is proud to be part of a programme that seeks to change the face of the agricultural insurance industry in South Africa. In wide discussions between ourselves and various Kings in the Eastern Cape, there was a strong push for the University to consider running academic programmes in the agricultural space. This partnership with Land Bank Insurance (SOC) Limited has given the University an opportunity to respond to the call from the Kings.
