This week, Vice Minister Roald Lapperre travelled to South Africa to celebrate the E-certification project and the opening of the Climate Smart Horticulture Centre in Grootvlei. Part of the visit included meeting with the leaders of Dutch companies operating in South Africa, as well as government, local research institutions and a farmer who is using Dutch technology on her farm.
Beeld: © Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands / D'Amor Photography
The Grootvlei Climate Smart Horti Centre officially opened in January 2026 by Minister of Electricity & Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Vice Minister of LVVN, Roald Lapperre. The centre has commenced with training in the greenhouse, with first plants already growing.
E-certification
The completion of the e-certification project marked an important step in transforming a paper-based import/export certificate system into a fully digital one for agricultural trade between South Africa and the Netherlands. The Vice Minister joined South African DG Ramasodi, DDG Komape and the E-certification team in Pretoria to celebrate this milestone.
The project demonstrates how technical cooperation contributes to more trade efficiency and resilience, as well as lower administrative burdens. Since the E-certification was implemented, receiving an export certificate in South Africa has been reduced from several days to just six hours, and import permits from 30-35 days, to only five.
Beeld: © Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands / William Bowden
DG Ramasodi from the South African Department of Agriculture addresses guests and delegates during the celebration of the E-certification project. Ramasodi provided a detailed background of the project. South Africa already wanted a digital import/export system in the early 2000s and has now achieved this through a partnership with the Netherlands.
The E-certification implementation is the result of a long-term and intensive collaboration between South African and Dutch experts, who have jointly invested in design, governance, capacity, and trust, with mutual understanding of each other's systems. E-certification was also the outcome of bilateral Agriculture Working Group meetings between the South African Department of Agriculture and LVVN.
This celebration marks not an end point but the start of further cooperation, including e-import permits, e-Vet, and regional knowledge sharing within SADC.
Visits
The Vice Minister also paid a visit to the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), who conducts agriculture research and innovation to improve crop, livestock and natural resource productivity, sustainability and resilience.
Beeld: ARC
Vice Minister, Roald Lapperre, with colleagues from LVVN and the Embassy meet with the CEO of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Dr Litha Magingxa and ARC colleagues. Discussions explored the role and work of ARC on topics of innovation, animal health and general agriculture, as well as potential areas of cooperation.
In recent years South Africa has been battling with Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and other disease outbreaks. ARC is playing an instrumental role as part of the ministers task team on animal disease, and producers of vaccines.
On his last day the Vice Minister visited Green Terrace, a hydroponics farm founded by agripreneur Mbali Nwoko in 2016. Mbali grows peppers with Dutch technology in a 1,3 hectare automated greenhouse. In 2018 Mbali Nwoko was regarded as one of the top 100 women changing South Africa (Guardian).
Beeld: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Mbali Nwoko, founder and owner of Green Terrace farm takes Vice Minister, Roald Lapperre, on a tour of her farm. Nwoko is using Dutch technology to grow in greenhouses.
Grootvlei Climate Smart Horti Centre Launch
The main event of Vice Minister Lapperre’s visit to South Africa was the Opening of the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horti Centre, at Grootvlei power station. The Vice Minister was accompanied by Ambassador for Business and Development Marchel Gerrmann, Ambassador Doornewaard, in the presence of the Mpumalanga provincial government, and the South African Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
Beeld: D'Amor Photography
Vice Minister of LVVN, Roald Lapperre, arrives at the launch of the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horti Centre with Eskom Chairman, Dr Mteto Nyati.
The Netherlands is a member country of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a program contributing to the country’s decarbonisation efforts. Since 2021, the Embassy has been working with Eskom and local partners to develop climate-smart horticulture as a way to repurpose power stations and create alternative employment.
The Climate Smart Horti Centre is a pilot initiative that demonstrates how repurposed energy infrastructure can support future-oriented economic activity beyond the energy sector. The centre will start as a practical training and skills development centre, with future plans to scale up to production. The partnership is being implemented under the leadership of Enterprising Africa Regional Network (EARN), with support from the Mpumalanga Green Cluster, Seed2Feed Foundation, Holland Green Tech, Ridder, Bosman Van Zaal, Van der Hoeven / Van der Straaten Acampo, Svensson, and Control Union.
Beeld: D'Amor Photography
Official plaque unveiled at the launch of the Grootvlei Climate Smart Horti Centre between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Eskom.