MEMBERS

Who we are

Launched at the beginning of 2019, the Black Tobacco Farmers Association is made up of 137 black smallholder tobacco farmers from across South Africa, with the ambition of developing into large commercial operations. Our core objective is to protect and prioritise the interests of black tobacco farmers, ensuring their continued development and sustainability in the tobacco industry.

We believe that the future of farming relies on a symbiotic relationship between farmers, government and all industry stakeholders. As BTFA, we call on all members, partners, corporates and stakeholders to support us in the endeavor of farming sustainably and ensuring the long-term growth and development of our industry for now and many years to come.

Committed to local leaf

Tobacco leaf farming supports approximately 7 000 livelihoods in rural South Africa, and we believe there is an opportunity to expand our leaf farming industry and increase our domestic trade. We want to make South Africa a leader in tobacco production.

We are working to increase in the number of hectares of farming land allocated to black farmers to rotate crops such as maize and tobacco. We strongly believe that tobacco farming should be encouraged across South Africa, as it is an excellent entry crop and provides a reliable income stream and safety net for thousands of families.

Committed to transformation

BTFA empowers black tobacco farmers through training and mentorship programmes to ensure they have the skills to work the land. We are focused on ensuring that agricultural activity benefits not only those that work the land, but members of the communities where farming takes place. We also want to improve the living and working conditions of black farmers in a manner that farmworkers who live and reside in farms are treated with dignity.

Who we are

Based in Rustenburg, the Limpopo Tobacco Processors (Pty) Ltd was founded in 1998. We are currently the largest single supplier of the tobacco leaves for domestic buyers in South Africa and the only supplier of flue-cured virginia tobacco in South Africa. Through dedicated research and our outstanding agronomy services and growing practices, we have succeeded in creating high quality and high yielding tobacco leaf crops. In total, we provide jobs for 430 permanent and seasonal staff, helping to bring sustainable income to rural communities.

Committed to local leaf

Our tobacco leaf is solely produced in South Africa and is supplied almost exclusively to local businesses. Between 80%-90% of the crop we produce is sold to domestic buyers, demonstrating our support of creating a strong local tobacco leaf industry.

We work with every farmer in South Africa who produces flue-cured virginia tobacco to produce 11 500 tons of tobacco annually. Most of this is cultivated in three areas, specifically in Mpumalanga and the parts of Limpopo that border Zimbabwe. We estimate that our industry contributes approximately R700 million to these communities every year, helping to create employment and generate economic activity in rural South Africa.

Committed to transformation

LTP is a 51% black-owned company and we are highly committed to transformation in the communities that we operate in. The livelihoods of our farmers and their workers are at the heart of our business. By supporting farmers, we enable them to provide housing and medical assistance for their workers. Our tobacco farming operations also support local businesses and schools. There are several projects in various growing areas to train emerging farmers to become independent commercial farmers.

Who we are

British American Tobacco South Africa is the country’s leading tobacco manufacturer and distributor, with a long legacy of more than 100 years in South Africa. We are one of the biggest employers in South Africa. In total we are responsible for supporting over 72 000 jobs across the country in various sectors, including retail, agriculture, businesses services, manufacturing, and transportation. The majority of these jobs are within small businesses and over 86% of people supported are black South Africans. Our factory in Heidelberg is the eighth largest BAT factory in the world, and is the largest employer in the area.

Committed to local leaf

South African grown tobacco leaf is one of the bedrocks of our business. We buy over 90% of all locally-grown tobacco leaf, worth some R550 million. This in turn supports thousands of farming jobs.

We support several projects that focus on providing support to emerging black farmers to achieve economic success. The Sun-Cured Virginia Leaf Project, for example, trains previously disadvantaged individuals to grow tobacco and other sustainable crops commercially. This project has helped to establish 87 farmers, who between them cultivate 94 hectares of tobacco crop and produce more than 150 tons of leaf each year.

We also act as an incubation partner, providing emerging black farmers with development funding to kick-start farming activities. As part of this we contract Mobile Agri Skills Development and Training (MASDT) to provide training, incubation, mentoring and administrative services to support tobacco growing, as well as the cultivation of other crops and livestock management.

Committed to transformation

British American Tobacco South Africa’s empowerment initiatives support previously disadvantaged individuals by providing training and education to unlock opportunities for self-improvement and self-sufficiency. Empowerment focuses on providing training, education, and opportunities to black South Africans. Examples include scholarships and programs supporting small businesses and promoting entrepreneurship, as well as our sustainable agricultural initiatives.

Our approach to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) includes initiatives in employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development, and corporate social investment.