"He's Losing Everything": Daughter Set to Buy Eastern Cape Farm for Father Struggling for 20 Years
- Nolusindiso Hleko launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy Mooivlei farm in the Eastern Cape for her 62-year-old father, Simosakhe Hleko
- Simosakhe built a herd of nearly 600 animals from a single cow he bought in 1984, after starting farm work at age 14
- The entire family risks losing the 743-hectare farm after two decades of failed government land applications
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A Johannesburg woman has launched a R5 million crowdfunding campaign to buy an Eastern Cape farm for her father before he loses the land he has poured his entire life into. Nolusindiso Hleko shared her father Simosakhe Hleko's story on TikTok on 12 August 2026, and Mzansi stopped scrolling.
Source: TikTok
Eastern Cape farmer builds herd from nothing
Simosakhe was born in 1964 to farm worker parents in the Eastern Cape. He never received a formal education. At 14, he began working on farms, and by the time he turned 20, he had saved enough from his wages to buy a single cow. That was 1984. That one animal became the foundation of a herd that would grow to nearly 600 cattle, sheep, goats and horses over the next four decades.
The road was not straight. He moved his animals across six different properties over the years, always searching for somewhere permanent. Around 2012 and 2013, a farmer he trusted took 20 of his cows, falsely claiming he owed money. Simosakhe chose not to fight it. The loss broke him, and he fell into a deep depression. Somehow, he came back.
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Mooivlei farm remains out of reach
In 2008, Simosakhe made an arrangement to keep his animals at a farm called Mooivlei in the Joe Gqabi district. By 2019, earning less than R5,000 a month with five children and a wife to support, he quit his job and moved to Mooivlei full time. The farm was run-down when he arrived. He built flood irrigation, developed arable land, planted lucerne and put up fencing across 743 hectares, turning it into one of the best-run wool and livestock operations in the region.
He applied to the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development to acquire land in 2003 and again in 2013. Both times he was rejected. In 2013, officials told him he would be "a burden to the government." He applied again in December 2025, specifically to acquire Mooivlei. That application has brought only more uncertainty, and the stress has affected his health.
Nolusindiso said watching her father face the possibility of losing Mooivlei made one thing clear. "Losing this place would break him in a way I don't think he'd recover from," she wrote.
The family is now raising R5 million to buy the farm outright through GoFundMe and BackABuddy. Watch Nolusindiso shared her father's story below:
Mzansi weighs in
South Africans flooded the comments with advice and support:
@DealMaker wrote:
"Donation is not best decision. Current problem is wanting to own 100%. Selling shares is the best option with buy back clause."
@motheoslife_story said:
"I'm going to direct you to someone who might help you. He's based in North West. I'll inbox you his names and please look up for him. I believe he will help your dad."
@Mahlatse Maphosa SA said:
"May today work in your favour."
@Bae Bella said:
"Have you approached the Department of Agriculture for assistance? They may have funding opportunities to assist you my babe. I think you need to explore all your options. DM me, I know people who can advise."
@khaymo_official said:
"Don't entertain people who are not willing to donate. Please focus on the goal!"
Other Briefly News stories about families
- Johannesburg resident Scelo Hlophe shared a heartwarming Instagram post showcasing the first-ever visit of his parents to his home.
- A South African TikToker who recently gifted his neighbours, Mam Gloria and Baba Hlatswayo, a brand-new Hisense 4K television as a heartfelt thank-you for their years of love and support.
- A proud mother from Cape Town decided to reward her children with brand-new iPhone 15 smartphones for their outstanding academic achievements.
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Source: Briefly News
