WHAT COMES to mind when towns such as Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal and Malelane in Mpumalanga are mentioned?
The common denominator/factor is the sugar industry. These towns were developed mainly as the result of the cane growing and milling activities in these regions.
Over the years, the industry has proven beyond doubt that it is a catalyst for socio-economic development in some of the deeply rural and job-starved areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
The industry is the beacon of hope for many rural communities, especially for thousands of black small-scale growers spread across the two provinces. It is an industry which creates 65 000 direct and 270 000 indirect jobs, with at least one million people dependent on the sugar cane growing and milling sectors.
KwaZulu-Natal is synonymous with sugar cane farming. Anyone who grew up in the province is likely to have a childhood story of plucking cane stalks from the ground, using their teeth to access the sweetness of the crop. There is no other agricultural commodity which has such fond association with grassroots folks.
