On Tuesday, May 14, 2025, approximately 200 women marched to the Department of Employment and Labour in Cape Town to advocate for improved labor practices and access to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for farmworkers. The march was organized by the Women on Farms Project (WFP).

The protesters are demanding the Department of Employment and Labour increase staffing at their offices and improve access to the UIF for farmworkers. They are also calling for better practices among labor inspectors during farm visits and stronger penalties for employers who violate labor laws.

Denile Samuel, WFP's Labour Rights Programme Coordinator, stated that numerous labor rights violations in the Cape Winelands have been consistently ignored by the department, with delayed responses to letters, sometimes taking months or years. She highlighted that inspectors often only communicate with farmers during farm visits, neglecting the affected workers' perspectives.

Sarie Smit, a WFP activist from De Doorns, raised concerns about access to UIF, noting that people spend their limited earnings to travel to the UIF office in De Doorns, only to find system issues upon arrival. While online applications are available, Samuels pointed out the unreliability of the system and the unreasonable expectation for farmworkers to have internet access to complete the forms. The UIF issue is particularly acute for seasonal farmworkers who face months of unemployment each year.

In a meeting prior to the march, David Esau, the DOL's Western Cape Chief Inspector, addressed some of the farmworkers' concerns. He announced that the department would increase staff through Project 20,000, an internship program set to recruit 20,000 intern inspectors over 2025 and 2026. Esau said that over 1,700 of these inspectors will be assigned to the Western Cape, which he hopes will alleviate some of the problems.

Outside the department's office, the protesters submitted a memorandum demanding a meeting with Minister Nomakhosazana Meth, emphasizing the need for labor inspectors to directly engage with affected farmworkers and expedite the UIF process for farmworkers.