KABOKWENI – Mathebula, who hails from Matsulu, said she wanted to give unemployed youth a start in life.
“The shortage of employment in the country creates an opportunity for young people to start their own businesses to survive the clutches of poverty,” she said.
“This is my little way of supporting these young people, especially those who want to become entrepreneurs in the KaBokweni area. Since chicken dust is a hit within this township, I decided to buy and donate all these braai materials which I believe will give these young people a start or push they need to start their own businesses,” added Mathebula.
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The 27-year-old Mathebula, is the proud owner of Ncedo Poultry Farm. She said she was inspired by her late father who was a passionate farmer and had always dreamed of becoming one of the few blacks within this sector. Her father, however, passed away before he could become a professional farmer. “When he died in a car crash in 2018, I decided to follow in his footsteps and just like that I became a farmer,” said Mathebula with a smile.
She told Lowvelder Express that she took a risk by resigning from her fulltime employment to pursue a career in farming, but fortunately this move later proved to be a success. “I was depressed when my father passed away, but I needed to survive, so when I started to farm full-time, I could feel my depression slowly going away. It was a huge risk, but so far I am making a lot of profit,” she beamed.
She added that the unemployment rate should not deter young people from increasing their skills. Instead they should consider starting their own businesses to create job opportunities for others. She currently hires four people who operate in the Mbombela area.
One of the recipients of the fully geared sponsor of full chickens, peri-peri, braai stands and other braai equipment, Given Zungu, expressed his gratitude saying that he is ready to start his dream business, “shisa nyama” in his community. “I believe that this is a way of curbing unemployment in our area and I am so grateful for this opportunity. Words can never begin to describe the joy I feel now,” he said.
