Absa boss praises Matsila village's development models

The model of sustainable rural development, as implemented at Matsila village, continues to attract visitors as well as support from far and wide. The initiative, spearheaded by traditional leader Livhuwani Matsila and the Matsila Development Trust, has captured the attention of rural communities all over the country, with many flocking to Vhembe to learn more about it. The latest visitor to the area was the CEO of the Absa Group, Mr Arrie Rautenbach, who brought his team along on Saturday, 3 February, to view the Matsila model.

Mr Khulani Qoma, managing executive of corporate relations and stakeholder engagement at Absa, said that they had heard about the projects at Matsila and felt they should come and get first-hand information. “We wanted to see rural development, which is what Chief Matsila is doing for his community. South Africa is struggling with many things, and internal migration is one of them, when people are forced to leave their villages for towns and cities in search of better opportunities. But what the chief has done demonstrates that development can be brought to people, wherever they live,” he said.

Qoma emphasised that the whole model, in their view, represents real Black Economic Empowerment in its desired and shared manner. “We were excited to have visited all the projects and met some of the graduates who have been absorbed in doing their internships. What he [Matsila] is doing needs to be replicated and scaled up to address many of our perennial challenges. We take community development very seriously as we believe that better communities create sustainable societies anywhere else in the world,” Qoma added.

Mr Arrie Rautenbach later wrote a letter especially to thank Chief Matsila for the opportunity to visit the village and learn more about what is happening here. “You have shown great vision and leadership in harnessing the potential of your land and your people, and in creating sustainable and inclusive development opportunities. You have also demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving and promoting your rich heritage and values, and to fostering a sense of pride and identity among your youth,” he said.

Rautenbach said that he shared Matsila’s passion and purpose to empower Africa, one story at a time. “We believe that Africa is a place of endless possibilities, and we are committed to unlocking its potential and creating shared value,” he said.

Chief Matsila expressed his happiness about the visit. “We are very encouraged and grateful that the high-level delegation from Absa visited us to show their support and give guidance regarding our integrated projects on community development. This recognition and level of support have inspired us to continue with our development initiatives with much more vigour, focus, and determination to eradicate poverty and grow the local economy. We are looking forward to future collaborations and partnerships with banking giants and private-sector role players such as Absa,” he said.

Date:17 February 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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