A Better Funding Partner
Agrarius vs. Traditional Lenders
Traditional financing often fails to align with the biological cycles and unique cash flow requirements of agriculture. Agrarius offers a flexible and symbiotic funding model that works with you, not against you.
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Agricultural Expertise and Boots on the Ground: Our team truly understands the ins and outs of farming and agribusiness - many of us come from farming families (see our Deal Team) and long-standing agricultural traditions. We visit clients in even the most remote rural areas and we assess risk based on real-world agricultural conditions, not just spreadsheets and credit scores.
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Off-Taker & Supplier Partnerships: We work closely with a network of trusted buyers, exporters, distributors and suppliers. If you're still finding a market for your crop, we may be able to connect you with reliable off-takers to help grow your revenues, as well as suppliers who can offer volume discounts on inputs such as packaging, fertilisers and more.
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Faster Approval: We know time is critical in agriculture, that’s why we work to process and approve funding in as little as one week - much faster than the lengthy timelines often experienced with banks.
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Flexible Security Options: Unlike banks that typically require land or fixed assets, we accept a broader range of collateral, including crops, future harvests, supply contracts, or machinery - making it easier for you to qualify.
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Higher Approval Rates: Many farmers and agri-entrepreneurs are overlooked by traditional lenders. Agrarius focuses specifically on this sector, allowing us to approve more applications and structure solutions that actually work for you.
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Competitive & Transparent Pricing: We keep our fees low and our pricing simple. No hidden charges - just clear, fair terms that help you focus on growing your business.
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Wide funding range from R5 million to R500 million to cover various project needs.
Agrarius is not a traditional lender - we provide financing via trading commodities and assets with our counterparties and offtakers.
What We Fund
We understand that farming and agribusinesses require funding at many different stages - not just at harvest time. That’s why we’re able to finance a wide range of activities across the entire product lifecycle:
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Pre-Planting: We can support early-stage needs like land preparation, purchasing high-quality seeds, setting up irrigation systems, and maintaining or upgrading equipment - so you're ready for a successful season from day one.
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Growing Season: During the crop growth period, we help fund essential activities such as planting, fertilising, controlling pests and diseases, and managing water through efficient irrigation.
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Harvesting: When it’s time to bring in your crop, we can cover costs related to harvesting labor, sorting and grading produce, and transporting goods from the field to collection points or storage.
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Storage: We support proper post-harvest handling, including cleaning, drying, packaging, and protecting your produce from pests to ensure quality and reduce losses.
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Delivery & Logistics: Need to get your produce to market or an offtaker? We help fund the transport and logistics needed to move your product efficiently and safely.
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Getting Paid: We understand there’s often a delay between delivery and payment. We offer short-term working capital to bridge the gap while waiting for payment from buyers or offtakers.
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Off-Season: Even in the off-season, your business keeps moving. We can help finance the purchase of long-term assets, farm renovations, infrastructure upgrades, or early input purchases for the next cycle.
Wide Range of Financial Solutions
Different circumstances - product lifecycles, expansion plans, availability of collateral, etc. - require tailored funding options to ensure growth and stability. Learn more about a range of financial solutions designed to support our clients at every stage, from working capital for day-to-day operations to asset, inventory, and invoice financing to optimise revenues and manage risk effectively.
How Long Does It Take
We know timing is everything in agriculture and delays can affect the entire season, that’s why we aim to keep our funding process as clear and efficient as possible. Here's a breakdown of the typical steps involved and what you can expect:
For New Clients
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Application: Once you’re ready to apply, we will ask you to submit a short application to tell us about your business and the funding project. We will get back to you shortly, usually within one week, about whether we can potentially fund your project.
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Due Diligence: Our team will carry out a thorough review of your project to understand your business model and risks. This may include on-site visits, meetings, background checks, and verification of key documents, including typical Know Your Business (KYB) information. This stage varies depending on the sector and project type but normally takes 3-4 weeks.
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Internal Approvals: After due diligence, your application is presented to our credit committee. They carefully review all the findings and give the green light for funding. We aim for transparency and typically make decisions within two weeks.
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Contract Signing: Once approved, we’ll prepare a funding agreement. We’ll walk you through the terms, answer your questions, and allow time for any negotiations. Once both parties are happy, the contract is signed. At this stage, the ball is in your court; it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
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Fund Disbursement: After signing, we’ll release the funds to your nominated account, usually within a few business days. From there, you’re ready to move forward with your project.
For Returning Clients
If you've worked with us before and maintained a good track record, the process is significantly faster. As due diligence was already complete before and we are familiar with your business, this allows us to accelerate internal approvals and contract renewals, so you could potentially receive funding in as little as two weeks.
Meet our Deal Team
Werner Opperman
CEO, MCom, CAIA
Werner comes from a family of agriculture economists and has been working on agricultural finance since his early career. Agrarius was founded with a vision of supporting innovation and development of agriculture in South Africa creating jobs and food security.
Johan Fourie
Head of Legal, BA LLB
Johan owns a cattle and sheep farm with old family traditions in livestock farming in Eastern Cape and, as a legal expert, is passionate about structuring deals to provide farmers with access to better financing options than those offered by local banks.
Pieter-Francois Theron
Head of Finance, CA(SA)
Pieter-Francois grew up on a grape and fruit farm in Paarl, where his family continues the farming tradition. Seeing challenges of farmers attempting to access credit has motivated him to join Agrarius' mission to support their growth.
Who We Are
Established in 2021, Agrarius is a JSE-listed funding with a mission is to transform agricultural sector to a sustainable economy, while investing in real assets, creating jobs for local rural communities, enhancing food security and creating new innovative sustainable products and practices.