Thalita takes runner-up position in Female Farmer of the Year awards

Thalita from Daniel Rababalela village outside Giyani was one of the winners of the Female Farmer of the Year awards hosted last month, obtaining the runner-up position in the backyard farming category. “Winning the award means a lot to me,” said Mona. “It’s not often that we get appreciated for what we do.

You see yourself doing something in your backyard, and doing it for fun, not expecting much. “So, for me to be recognised means everything and shows that I am not wasting my time,” Mona explained. She started farming in 2014 after her mother passed away.

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“The farming project was initially started by my mom, and I would just help out here and there, but after she passed away, “I told myself that I would continue her dream of being able to have a farm. At first, it was just a small space, and now I have extended to the whole yard,” she added. In 2019, Thalita entered a competition for female entrepreneurs in Mopani. “Here I was voted runner-up too, and I received R9 000 from the municipality to buy pipes and things I needed to help with my small farm.

“I would like to thank the community for the support that I receive from them – it really means a lot to see them making sure that I succeed,” she said. Anyone who wants to start farming should pursue that dream, as it is all worth the hard work, she remarked. “Government is always there to help where they can. Do not ever doubt yourself, and even if things get bad, hold on,” she concluded.