Farmer’sWeekly remembers
former editor Alita van derWalt
Theagriculturaljournalism
andfarmingcommunities
aremourningthelossof
AlitavanderWalt,former
editorofFarmer’sWeekly, who
passedawayon 12 August
inTzaneen,Limpopo.
Alita(42)grewupina
farmingcommunity,and
helda degreeinbusiness
communicationfrom
Potchefstroom(nowNorth-
West)University.Shebegan
hercareerasa designer
atCaxtonCommunity
Newspapersin2000,and
joinedtheFarmer’sWeekly
designteamin2003.
Sheservedasthemanaging
editor,andlaterascommercial
manageranddeputyeditor,
ofthemagazine,before
beingpromotedtoeditorin
June2011,becomingthefirst
femaleeditorofSouthAfrica’s
oldestagriculturalmagazine.
Herappointmentas
editorusheredina new
eraforFarmer’sWeeklyon
manylevels,saysDenene
Erasmus,whobecame
editorafterAlitaresigned.
“NotonlydidAlitahaveto
disprovethenaysayerswho
doubtedthata womanwould
havetheabilitytocontinue
Farmer’sWeekly’s morethan
a century-oldtraditionof
servingtheagricultural
communityinSouth
Africawithrelevantand
trustworthyfarmingnews
andinformation,butshealso
hadtooverseetheevolution
ofthetitlefrombeinga purely
printpublicationintoa multi-
platformprintanddigital
mediabrand,”saysDenene.
UnderAlita’sleadership,
Farmer’sWeeklywasable
toexponentiallygrowits
reach,notonlyinSouth
Africa,butacrossthe
restofthecontinent.
Shewasalsointegral
inguidingthemagazine
towardsa newfuturein
whichit hadtoaccommodate
a newgenerationof
readerswhowereyoung,
entrepreneurial,tech-savvy
andhungryforinformation
aboutstartingupnew
farmingbusinesses.
“Sheledbyexample.During
hertimeaseditor,sheworked
veryhardtoensurethatthe
titlewouldremainrelevantto
ourreaders,whilealsobeing
commerciallyviableata time
whenprintmediawasalready
comingundera lotofpressure
fromdwindlingreadership
andrevenue,”saysDenene.
“Shewasaninspiration
toallofus.Despiteherlong
battlewithcancer,which
firststartedbackin2008,shealways remained
optimistic. Her influence
is stillkeenly visible in
themagazine and digital
offerings that we publish
today,and it will remain so
formany years to come.”
Sheserved as editor until
December 2015, when she
movedfrom Johannesburg
toTzaneen with her family.Farmer’s Weekly extends
its deepest sympathies to
Alita’s husband, Hansie,
her two children, Tiaan and
Alida, as well as the rest of
her family and friends.
She will be sorely missed
by the Farmer’s Weekly team,
many of whom worked
alongside her during her
time at the magazine.Letters
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The views and opinions expressed on the letters page do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly or Caxton.
Readers’ letters will be published and edited at the sole discretion of Farmer’s Weekly.
30 August 2019 farmer’sweekly 9