Cane Supply Manager at RCL Foods

Purpose of the Role:

• The incumbent will provide technical and practical agricultural leadership and direction in sugar cane production and supply, as well as commercial grower support, to improve and sustain grower relations with the objective of achieving a sustainable supply of cane to the mills.

Minimum Requirements    

• A Degree/Diploma in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, or Agricultural Engineering.
• 8 years’ agricultural management experience.
• At least 5 years’ logistics/cane inbound experience.
• Knowledge of agricultural and sugar legislation.
• Knowledge of farm management practices, performance management, and project management.
• Understanding of land restitution processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Proven record of being able to deal with a diverse Grower community, both from a scale and language perspective.
• Must be a South African citizen.

Knowledge and Expertise:

• Agronomics.
• Farm management best practices and sustainability programs/agricultural certification standards.
• Fertilization.
• Irrigation systems – drip, dragline, floppy, flood, and pivots.
• Agricultural-related legislation.
• Soil types and utilisation.
• LIMS basic knowledge.
• Land reform processes.
• Application of 4IR technologies in the agricultural space.

Duties & Responsibilities    

• Ensuring short- and long-term sustainable cane supply to Malelane mill.
• Supporting SASRI extension officers and setting up grower information structures.
• Facilitating pest and disease programs and ensuring sufficient seed cane supply.
• Managing the ripener spray program.
• Influencing proper irrigation water management.
• Driving improvements in irrigation system efficiencies and scheduling techniques.
• Managing cane control functions to ensure rateable supply throughout the season.
• Overseeing GIS and Canepro information systems with integrity.
• Leading redevelopment of cane projects funded by government and industry.
• Producing and implementing the Malelane Cane Supply financial budget.
• Ensuring compliance with company Health and Safety standards.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with growers, SASRI, and local industry structures.

You’ll Work With:

Internal:

• Cane Operating Division and small-scale grower support structures (TsGro, Akwandze).
• Data analysis to develop agronomic best practice strategies and variety strategies across RCL cane supply areas.
• Oversight of seed cane supply from RCL mother blocks and monitoring grower seed schemes.
• Facilitating food safety and sustainability programs for cane suppliers.
• Komati and Malalane mills – crop estimates, quality forecasts, and turbidity predictions.

External:

• Growers and grower leadership through committees (P&D, MIS, Ripener) on research, extension, and environmental aspects.
• Aerial spraying contractors – managing ripener spray programs and safety compliance.
• South African Sugar Research Institute – building strong relationships with researchers and extension officers, facilitating R&D committees, and influencing long-term research projects.
• Supporting pest and disease control functions in Nkomazi.
• Mill group boards (Komati and Malalane) – advising on quality improvement and crop estimates.

Deadline:29th March,2026