Women in Agriculture: Danell du Toit

Danell du Toit is MD of the De Keur Group and Vice-Chairperson of Hortgro Pome. She spoke to Jenny Underhill about the values she acquired in childhood, her unexpected career path, and her take on women in agriculture.

“Many of the values that guide me today were formed in those early years on the De Keur farm with my mom, dad, brothers and sisters,” said du Toit. Her childhood in the Koue Bokkeveld taught her the importance of hard work and taking responsibility, the importance of people, and that you cannot control everything.

“You can work incredibly hard and make exceptionally good decisions. You can plan carefully, but a hailstorm can still happen. Agriculture has taught me that life is not predictable. It teaches you resilience, humility, and the ability to be adaptable.”

As a result, du Toit tries to focus on doing the best she can with the opportunities and responsibilities she has been given, and the things she can control: her attitude, efforts, how she treats people, and the decisions she makes.

Education

Du Toit attended Laerskool Koue Bokkeveld and went to Paarl Gymnasium for high school. It was a big adjustment to move from a small primary school with 13 children in her class to a high school with almost 200 children in her grade. Du Toit credits both schools with giving her an exceptional foundation, and her time in hostel taught her perseverance, independence, and the importance of teamwork.

“After high school, I went to the University of Stellenbosch. I did a BCom (Honours) degree in strategic management and marketing. It’s a degree that gives you a lot of options,” said du Toit. “Although tertiary education gave me the opportunity to develop a broad understanding of business, I don’t believe that education stops at university level. It’s something that we need to prioritise throughout our lives. “

Early work experience in Australia

Du Toit’s journey took an unexpected turn when she discovered an interest in computers. “Remember, this was the late 90’s and computers had just arrived. We were still using dial-up internet through the telephone line,” she laughed. After finishing her degree, she enrolled in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) course to learn the software that connects core business parts and sales into one shared system. She met an Australian SAP consultant on the course, who offered her a job in Sydney.

“I was planning on doing a two-year stint in London like all of my friends. But I took a leap of faith and moved to Australia in 1999, not knowing a soul.”

Du Toit worked for the ERP consulting company for nine years. She was promoted from logistics consultant to project team lead, then project manager, and ultimately to running all the company’s projects. She consulted for multiple businesses, including Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Fresenius Medical Care and Kimberly Clark – learning about many different business processes and best practices.

Du Toit said she was fortunate to work in a global team and travel widely. She spent time in New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Switzerland, Portugal, Russia, Poland, Argentina and the USA.  It made her realise the importance of building relationships and how people are similar, despite their different nationalities and cultures.

In 2008, she moved to a position at UGL, a large Australian conglomerate involved in many different business spheres, including building locomotives, setting up sites for oil extraction, and other services. Du Toit joined UGL’s ICT team as their ICT Project Team Lead.

Joining the De Keur Group

 Du Toit met her husband, Mark Watt, when they were both at the University of Stellenbosch. He joined her in Australia in 2001. “We made the decision to come back to South Africa when our son was born in 2011. I realised that consulting would not be conducive to raising a family in the way that I wanted,” explained Du Toit.

They were initially based in Johannesburg, and she worked for an IT consulting company. Watt works in leadership consulting and was based at the Johannesburg office of Heidrick and Struggles, having transferred from the Sydney office.

“Throughout the time we lived in Australia, I had always stayed close to our family business, De Keur Group. It wasn’t just an interest; it was out of love for the people and the place. My dad and uncle were running the operations, and they flew up to Johannesburg to ask me if I was interested in joining the business because they both wanted to scale down.”

Du Toit said it felt like a big decision, but she couldn’t think of a better place to raise her kids than back in the Koue Bokkeveld. She is now managing director of the De Keur Group in Ceres. Watt has continued his work remotely.

Involvement with Hortgro

When Du Toit joined De Keur Group, she acknowledged that she didn’t understand the enormous role that Hortgro plays in the industry. She began her involvement with Hortgro as a member of the Pome Producer Council; she then moved on to the Pome Board and, recently, became Vice-Chairperson of Hortgro Pome.

“Being on the board has allowed me to engage with people in the broader South African fruit industry. The industry is incredibly complex and interconnected. What happens to one producer or one part of the value chain affects other producers and ultimately the whole industry. It has reinforced my belief that collaboration is essential: it’s the only way we’re going to survive in the long term.”

Women in agriculture

“Historically, agriculture has been male-dominated, especially when it comes to the senior leadership positions. I have had to work hard to establish credibility. Georgie (Hewitt) and I are Vice-Chairpersons of Hortgro Stone and Pome, which I see as a very positive development,” she said.

Her experience is that men and women approach problems differently, and having more perspectives around a boardroom table generally leads to better decisions. “There are more women entering agriculture. This visibility is important because young women are seeing what is possible. In the past, agriculture happened on the farm, but there are many more opportunities now. Careers in agriculture now include science, technology, finance and HR.”

Du Toit would like to see younger girls given the choice to attend an agricultural school. Most agricultural schools only admit boys, but this should rather match the tertiary education experience, where there are no restrictions. “My advice to anyone entering into agriculture – or starting any career – is not to worry about having a career path figured out. Some of the best opportunities are unexpected. Take those opportunities, work hard, stay curious, and surround yourself with good people. Don’t be afraid to change direction when circumstances change.”

Personal life

Du Toit loves photography, reading, and hiking with her family. She and her husband make a point of taking their two kids travelling, introducing them to different cultures and countries, and believe that travel teaches you many lessons.

“I value time with my family. Being a wife and a mother is a very important part of who I am. Family time also helps to keep work in perspective,” said Du Toit. “My son asked me the other day, ‘What do I like most about working at De Keur?’ I told him that it’s working with my family. It’s an absolute privilege to have these long-standing family relationships and be able to work alongside my cousins, brothers and sisters.”