Nomonde Ncongwane knew that she wanted to pursue farming while growing up in a farming environment where her grandparents still run their own thriving farm. Ncongwane witnessed her grandparents and it created a similar passion for farming and agriculture. It was never driven by money but grew from practical experience and conviction that farming is the backbone of an economy.
Early exposure to farming
In 2019, she founded Mvila Meat, an agro-processing company, breeding, pigs, cattle and chickens. She views this as fulfilment of her childhood dream. Although she did not have sufficient experience of running a business, her exposure to farming made her new adventure less daunting. Strong family support ensured answers to overcoming challenges.
Organic farming
Ncongwane says she chose to breed cattle, pigs and chickens because it is sustainable and profitable. As a new generation farmer, she follows organic farming methods and practices aimed at enhancing and sustaining of ecosystems, organisms and humans. She avoids the use of fertilisers, pesticides, animal drugs and food additives with its adverse health effects. Her animals are fed organically grown plants.
Hands-on management style
Ncongwane is the farm’s chief operating manager and this means she has to be hands-on, supervising her full-time employees and ensuring they are well cared for.
She also injects the animals, feed them and cleans the pens and does not shy away from disinfecting and washing the cattle, chicken and pigs and buys and sells feed.
This busy young farmer manages all animal records and handles social media advertising. She maintains, among her many other tasks, all vaccine dates, farrow and calve dates.
Continuous education of paramount importance
Nomonde says she learnt valuable lessons since starting Mvila Meat.
She believes in continuous education and finding courses to empower oneself. “Education is key and the more you know, the more money you will make. The importance of education for farmers cannot be overstated,” she says, firmly believing that knowledge is power and the more one knows, the more profitable a business venture. She undertakes her own research and volunteers whenever possible in areas where she can both contribute and benefit.
“While experience can be valuable, you cannot succeed without passion,” Passion without skill can be extremely costly and result in a failed production.” – Nomonde Ncongwane
Family as source of inspiration
Ncongwane stresses that she derives inspiration and encouragement from her family, close friends and members of her broader community and promises to continue to provide food for her community and motivate young women to follow in her footsteps. Her advice to young women interested in farming is to invest in education. She says to learn on the job is not the only component of success as one could fail and become discouraged while losing money. “Save some money while you are learning to have some start-up money,” Ncongwane advises.
