Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
Blended Finance Scheme
National R3.2bn over 10 years Commercial farmers DALRRD + Land Bank
At a glance
Total pool
R3.2 billion over 10 years
Instrument
Grant + concessional loan
Grant-to-loan ratio
Sector-specific
Commodities focus
AAMP priority list
Delivery banks
Land Bank, IDC, ABSA
Beneficiary
Black commercial farmer
Own contribution
Minimum equity share
Application
Land Bank branch or online
Who qualifies
- Black-owned commercial or emerging commercial farming operation
- Registered legal entity (company, close corporation, or cooperative)
- Farming in an AAMP priority commodity (grains, horticulture, livestock, etc.)
- Meets Land Bank / IDC credit criteria for the loan portion
- Submits a bankable business plan with 5-year financial projections
Who does not qualify
- Non-black-owned commercial farms
- Businesses that cannot service the loan portion
- Speculative property or non-productive agricultural ventures
- Applications below the scheme's minimum project size threshold
Documents you bring
- Detailed business plan with 5-year financial projections
- Certified copies of shareholder / member IDs
- CIPC or cooperative registration
- 3 years' financial statements (or opening balance for start-ups)
- Proof of land tenure
- Environmental impact assessment (for large projects)
- SARS tax clearance
- B-BBEE certificate
The grant portion is disbursed through the participating bank at the same time as the loan. Grant-to-loan ratios differ by commodity, grains vs livestock vs horticulture each have their own blend.
How to apply
- Consult a Land Bank branch or an accredited advisor to check commodity fit and blend ratio.
- Prepare the business plan and financial model with the advisor's input.
- Submit the application through Land Bank (primary channel) or IDC / ABSA where applicable.
- Bank runs credit assessment on the loan portion; DALRRD reviews the grant portion.
- Joint credit committee decision. Approved deals receive a facility letter.
- Sign the facility agreement. Grant + loan are disbursed together in tranches against project milestones.
Land Bank is the lead channel for most blended-finance applications. IDC handles agro-processing and larger industrial-scale deals.
The AAMP commodity list is narrower than it reads
Even when your parent commodity (say, "horticulture" or "livestock") is listed, specific sub-sectors can be excluded from the current window. Cut flowers may qualify while ornamental plants do not; poultry may qualify while ostrich does not. Ask Land Bank for the current sub-commodity annex before you build the financial model.