by Ernesto Franzen, as told by Lucas Zanoni and Ann Hatfield-Grahek
Take a look at the world map. Crops—and the ag aviation operators who care for them—are already well established everywhere except in Africa. Africa has the most potential for agricultural growth, as it still has vast tracts of arable land that have not yet been cultivated. That’s excellent news, especially considering that Africa has the highest population growth rate in the world. An agricultural boom is on the horizon. This potential is one of the reasons Zanoni and Turbine Conversions recently visited South Africa.
Around the same time Lucas Zanoni was planning the Africa trip, Ann Hatfield-Grahek, of Turbine Conversions (TCL), was invited by Elsabe Carstens of Ag Aviation Africa—the African dealer for Air Tractor—to a special event scheduled for September 2024. The event coincided with a major aerospace and defense exhibition. Given their partnership with Zanoni, Ann requested to join their team on the trip and was graciously welcomed.
Lucas Zanoni first arrived in Cape Town, where he gave a presentation to 15 agricultural operators. Dellair Aviation Services, a maintenance company, organized the event.
Zanoni’s involvement with the African ag aviation industry began nearly 20 years ago when a South African operator visited the Zanoni booth at a Sindag convention and expressed interest in their stainless steel product line. Due to Africa’s limited infrastructure, operators often find themselves 400 miles from the nearest maintenance shop and 1,300 miles from a parts dealer. This makes durability and reliability crucial for equipment. That initial interaction resulted in Zanoni’s first international sale. Later, Mitch Spall of Natal Aerial Spray in KwaZulu-Natal purchased a firegate from Zanoni and enlisted Danie Vermeulen—now the co-owner of Dellair Aviation Services with his wife Lizelle—to install it.
Today, Dellair Aviation Services represents Zanoni in South Africa. With five facilities nationwide, Dellair specializes in various aviation services, from engine overhauls to King Air maintenance. Their Parys facility in the Free State province focuses on agricultural aircraft, servicing over 30 Air Tractors and Thrush aircraft. During the Zanoni team’s visit, the Dellair team was repairing an Air Tractor that had made an "unscheduled landing." Thankfully, the pilot was unharmed, and the aircraft sustained only prop damage. Danie suspected fuel contamination as the cause and highlighted the benefits of TCL’s Single Point Fueling System, estimating it would pay for itself within a year by reducing fuel theft and contamination risks. Dellair is now an authorized TCL dealer and installation center.
On September 11th, the Zanoni team and Ann visited Steve Viviers of Castello Farming in Potchefstroom, North West province. Steve, an Air Tractor operator with a dual-cockpit AT-802 and the AgNav dealer in South Africa, provided valuable feedback on his award-winning operation, known for its innovative farming techniques.
The next day, the Zanoni-TCL team traveled to Bethlehem in the Free State province to visit Orsmond Aviation, a certified Thrush service center. They were impressed by the high-quality services and operations, which include a sizeable aerial application business serving clients across South Africa.
On September 17th, the team visited Sandriver Crop Protection in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province. Sandriver is the second-largest ag operator in South Africa and Zanoni’s largest customer on the continent. Owned by Billie Erasmus, Sandriver operates Air Tractors and helicopters across multiple African countries and maintains a satellite operation in Indiana, USA.
Following their time in Tzaneen, the team headed to Pretoria for the Africa Aerospace and Defense Show, the primary purpose of their visit. Ag Aviation Africa, led by Graham Wells and his team, had a prominent presence at the event, featuring a hospitality suite and an Air Tractor AT-502XP on display amidst tanks, drones, and other defense technologies. Representatives from the Air Tractor factory and AG PilotX from the U.S. also attended. The event provided an excellent networking opportunity for Zanoni Equipamentos (a sponsor) and Turbine Conversions Ltd., showcasing the growth and innovation in the African aviation industry.
South Africa is currently the most developed country in Africa for ag aviation. With a temperate climate, it produces various crops, including citrus, lychee, avocados, grains, and soybeans. Like the U.S. and Brazil, South African agriculture faces environmental challenges, but the country addresses these issues with innovative solutions.
Wildfires are also on the rise in South Africa. The government often hires ag operators to fight fires rather than establishing dedicated firefighting operations or state-run aerial firefighting agencies. Many farm operators equip their ag aircraft with fire gates to combat fires on their own land.
Several sub-Saharan countries with climates similar to Brazil’s Midwest are looking to Brazil’s experience in developing tropical agriculture. A significant agricultural boom is anticipated in the region over the next 15–20 years, mirroring the growth seen in Brazil in recent decades. Many farmers lack the resources for aerial applications and hire South African operators like Sandriver Crop Protection. In some cases, local governments purchase ag aircraft to provide services for small-scale farmers who cannot afford them. As these regions adopt modern agricultural techniques, increased yields will lead to greater prosperity and the ability to invest in their aircraft.
As Ann Hatfield-Grahek says, “The future of agricultural aviation in Africa is bright, and I am excited to be part of this growing industry.”
