Micro Agricultural Financial Institutions of South Africa
MAFISA Microloan
Why MAFISA exists
Smallholder farmers need short-cycle working capital — enough for seed, fertiliser, chicks, or fencing this season — but they typically cannot access commercial agricultural credit. Cheque sizes are too small, land title is often communal, and repayments must be tied to the harvest calendar. MAFISA is Land Bank's wholesale facility built for that gap. It lends through accredited retail intermediaries so a farmer applies at a familiar local counter, not at a Land Bank branch office.
The numbers you plan around
Two term shapes
Short-cycle
Working capital for a single production cycle. Draw down at planting, repay from harvest sales. Best for seasonal input purchases (seed, fertiliser, spraying, seedlings, chicks).
Medium-term
Small capital purchases with a longer payback. Used for water pumps, small tractors, cold-chain refrigeration, greenhouse tunnels, and mainline irrigation.
Accredited retail intermediaries (2026)
You apply at one of these financial intermediaries, not directly at Land Bank. Each covers specific provinces or commodity groups.
Typical MAFISA loan uses
- Certified seed and seedling packs
- Fertiliser and lime
- Day-old chicks and feed
- Cattle vaccines and dosing
- Boundary and camp fencing
- Small pumps and pipes
- Diesel and paraffin bulk fills
- Casual labour during planting or shearing
Who qualifies
- Smallholder or emerging farmer with an active plot or livestock enterprise
- At least one full production cycle of experience (own or family-managed)
- Written production plan and simple cash-flow projection
- SA citizen or permanent resident, aged 18 or older
- Not currently delinquent on any Land Bank or state agricultural facility
Where to reach MAFISA
Land Bank MAFISA desk: 012 686 0500. Programme overview and intermediary directory at landbank.co.za/mafisa.