Initiative in KZN helps small farmers to survive, grow

Driven by passion and a vision, Benjamin Nkanyane quit his job four years ago and bought a hectare of land in Limpopo to farm vegetables for schools – and he has never looked back.

“I did a BSc in agriculture and worked for five years. In 2019, I started Ndavhula Farming Enterprise, specialising in cabbages and butternuts after I identified a gap in the feeding scheme programme at schools around my area. Within a year, my farm had grown to nine hectares.”

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But then the hard times hit, he told delegates at the launch of the Metropolitan Collective Shapers in KwaZulu-Natal that helped Nkanyane survive.

Brink of disaster

“I was at the brink of shutting down my business during the Covid pandemic as schools and retail stores had shut down,” he said.

“I tried to supply small retail shops in small quantities but I couldn’t pay my workers and keep [operating].”

Nkanyane was helped by Metropolitan Collective Shapers, which equips entrepreneurs with skills that enable them to not only thrive, but also create job opportunities, said CEO Peter Tshiguvho.

The initiative aimed to find 50 agricultural entrepreneurs and supply them with the tools they needed and provide mentorship and coaching, especially in view of the sharp increase in the unemployment rate, particularly the youth.

Ntuthuko Shezi, founder of Livestock Wealth, said one of the lessons he has learnt was “no funding exists for primary agricultural entrepreneurs”.

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“This is because there is too much risk in agriculture, like the weather conditions. And banks don’t want that,” he said.

“I would also advise anyone starting a business to not compete with big established companies. Start small and watch your business grow,” Shezi said.

Nkanyane stressed the importance of networking. Metropolitan introduced him to Agri Enterprise that assisted him with his finances.

And when his business was hit by an El Nino, Agri Enterprise stepped in. “My crop was damaged and we lost two acres which were under contract.

Agri Enterprise helped me until last season and managed to get me funding,” Nkanyane said.

Tshiguvho said Metropolitan identified provinces that had the opportunity to make an impact. “We started in Limpopo and Tshwane and we are now targeting KZN.”