Patricia Simelane, 2017 Adult Winner (Nhlangano, Shiselweni)
- 2017 Adult Category Winner, Patricia Simelane won the competition through her vegetable production venture. She has since extended her farming portfolio to include chickens, an orchard, goats and more.
- She entered the competition twice before eventually winning, coming 6th both times. This inspired her to ask why she remained stagnant and how she could improve her business and grow as an agripreneur.
- Simelane was motivated to join the competition to improve herself and her agribusiness. She encourages other women to do the same. She believes learning is a continuous process, one that is necessary and should be actively pursued.
- The training she received as a winner has opened her mind- giving her new perspectives and ideas on how to improve as a businesswoman. She now takes this new knowledge and spreads it within her community- encouraging women to farm as cooperatives and assisting them to access the relevant resources.
- She works with a group of about 30 youths, assisting them to become better agripreneurs.
- Since winning, she finds that people recognize her more easily as a woman farmer and are more willing to assist her in her agricultural ventures. Through this, she continues to mentor and open doors for more women.