Macadamias South Africa NPC (SAMAC)

Macadamias South Africa NPC (SAMAC) represents the country’s macadamia growers. A group of growers formed the organisation in the early 1970s to pool resources on shared problems, and today SAMAC operates as a non-profit company under the Companies Act, based in Tzaneen, Limpopo, in a major macadamia-growing region.

Registered name

Macadamias South Africa NPC (SAMAC)

Type

Non-profit company (agricultural industry body)

Fields funded

Agriculture, with a focus on crop production and horticulture

Website

samac.org.za

What SAMAC does for growers

SAMAC’s main objective is to serve its members and ensure the sustainability, growth and prosperity of the South African macadamia industry. Growers’ levies fund SAMAC’s research projects in horticulture, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, which SAMAC describes as the foundation for higher yields and excellent-quality nuts.

SAMAC also promotes demand for macadamias, including their health benefits. SAMAC joined a high-level agricultural trade mission to Mumbai that met 27 Indian importers alongside Fruit SA, the Citrus Growers’ Association, Hortgro and others. Closer to home, SAMAC runs regional MacDay events in the main production areas, and the SAMAC Integrator platform gives growers industry-wide data to guide decisions.

Skills across the value chain

SAMAC treats skills as a pivotal factor in the industry’s growth. SAMAC delivers practical and theoretical macadamia production training, facilitates seasonal study groups and technical sessions with industry experts, and supports small-scale farmers on the path towards commercial farming through its transformation initiatives.

The SAMAC bursary

SAMAC administers bursaries for academically outstanding South African undergraduate and postgraduate students in agriculture, with a specific focus on crop production and horticulture. Applicants download and complete SAMAC’s bursary application form and submit it with supporting documents. The provider record, checked in August 2026, adds that SAMAC prefers study directly relevant to macadamia production and expects recipients to work for a macadamia-related company, organisation or institution in South Africa after qualifying.

BursariesAfrica’s older SAMAC guide has not been refreshed with verified 2027 dates and gives conflicting closing information, so rely on SAMAC’s own skills development page for current dates and requirements.

How to research SAMAC

Read SAMAC’s research pages and pick one problem, such as a pest or a post-harvest quality issue, to discuss in your motivation. Students from Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal can ask local macadamia farms about holiday work, which shows commitment to the industry. Email SAMAC to confirm when the bursary opens and whether the work-back obligation still applies.

See our AgriSETA bursary guide for broader agricultural funding.