by Sihle Manda
When a state-leased family farm lay fallow after its subsistence farmer patriarch passed on, the entrepreneurial spirit of his daughter-in-law kicked-in, and she worked hard to revive it.
Today, the initiative is thriving, even earning accolades from the country’s head of state.
The director of Kevinot Farming, Nonopa Tenza, was among a group of winners of the inaugural Presidential Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) and Cooperative Awards that recently engaged President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings. Tenza won the award for Rural-based SMMEs. The award included a R100 000 cash prize.
Tenza, a chartered accountant by profession, pursued farming after she decided to revive a desolate state agricultural plot in Matatiele that had been leased to her late father-in-law.
The establishment consists of about 100 hectares of arable land. It also runs a beef production breeding herd of F1 Angus cows, pedigree Angus Bulls, mixed Dohne Merino and Dormer sheep and grows yellow maize, sugar beans lucerne and teff grasses.
Speaking to Vuk’uzenzele Tenza said the farm had been used by her father-in-law until his passing nine years ago. For three years after his passing the farm was unused.
Being a serial entrepreneur, she was not prepared to let an opportunity pass. In 2017, she rolled up her sleeves to hold on the mammoth task.
“I am passionate about agriculture. This was an opportunity for me to utilise this farm that was honest sitting, doing nothing,” she recalled.
Pitchforks in Matatiele
Tenza traded her full-time corporate job in investment banking in Johannesburg, Gauteng for pitchforks in Matatiele, in the Eastern Cape.
But the journey was not paved in gold.
With the lease still not transferred to her name, getting the venture off the ground meant access to commercial funding was close to impossible. She had to utilise her personal savings.
Kevinot occasionally receives farming implements from the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. However, the business faced an existential threat when it suffered losses valued at R600 000 following the 2022 floods that devastated parts of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Intervention from the Small Enterprise Development Agency’s (Seda) Flood Relief Fund gave the initiative a much-needed shot in the arm.
“When the floods came, the sugar beans were still low and got washed away. The farming implements helped me a lot for the upcoming season.”
Seda supplied Tenza with non-financial support which included the supply of seeds, fertiliser and everything that she needed for that season.
While seasonal workers can, at times, reach 40, Kevinot is staffed by five full-time employees.
Tenza’s ultimate goal is to procure into agro-processing.
For more information about Seda visit www.seda.org.za or call 0860 663 7867. – SAnews.gov.za
*This account first appeared in Vuk’uzenzele newspaper
Divine Quasar
There was a postman who is always happy. in the other side there is harry who would just stares at the happy postman everyday and asks himself \”What\’s the secret of this man\”.
One day Harry decided to stop the postman and ask him why he\’s always smiling and happy, what he did.
the postman answered:\”Whenever I\’m handing a mail to a women I kisses her and I get more than just a kiss sometimes.\”
Harry liked the idea and went to a poste office and proposed for the job then he got it . In his first delivery Harry was so excited try the kissing thing out, and as he thought, there was a hot women in front of the first door, he went directly towared her and pasted her a kiss staight in the lips, in the center of that her husband suddenly appeared in front him and asked:\”WTF ARE YOU DOING.\”
\”I\’m just delivering a \’kiss\’ was sent from China\” Harry answered in a sporadic tone.
\”Very nice, you came on time, I want to send a \’Fuck\’ with you to South Africa\” the husband responded while draging Harry into the house.
Universe Bullet
African men do not fear lions because they are aware of the bug, which is an immediate threat