Mom-of-One From Cape Town Slays With Farming Business After Losing Catering Company During COVID-19 Pandemic

• A young momma residing in Cape Town is doing the absolute most as a subsistence farmer
• Ncumisa Mkabile is both a chicken and crop farmer, creating employment for seven people in her community
• The entrepreneur already supplies local stores and has big plans for her business, which she named Dawana Fresh Produce

A mother-of-one residing in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha is working hard to create a better life for herself and her son.

Ncumisa Mkabile started working in agriculture after closing her catering business during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Briefly News previously wrote about the strong woman inspiring Mzansi ladies to take on the agricultural sector.

Now, talking to Briefly News, the young entrepreneur opens up about why she started her business and reflects on her plans for the future.

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Ncumisa is a natural entrepreneur

The young woman didn’t lick her wounds after shutting down her catering enterprise and started farming on the land of a school near her home in March 2020.

Although she initially started with chicken, the 29-year-old later ventured into farming spinach and peppers as well.

The good sis says that she has big plans for expanding her business, which she named Dawana Fresh Produce, with her company aiming to help the Khayelitsha community:

“This year, I decided to start approaching schools and asking them to lease their land, and in return, I'll donate 10% of the profit that I make to buy school shoes and sanitary pads for the learners.

“The main reason for approaching schools is because I couldn't get financial assistance from the department because I don't have a lease agreement for the land I started using.”

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The doting mom notes that in winter, she grows spinach and cabbage, with green peppers her summer crop:

“I also grow 1000 broiler chickens per cycle and sell 450 off-layer chickens weekly.”

Ncumisa creates employment in her community

The young woman notes that she is proud to employ seven people and hopes to expand her business further to help more families within her township.

Ncumisa is currently a subsistence farmer and has dreams of having a commercial farm, with the good sis already supplying local stores with her produce.

Despite only starting Dawana Fresh Produce in 2020, the hard-working woman has already won several awards.

Ncumisa is also an entire UNICEF, Blue Ribbon and Bar One ambassador and is the Realise a Dream competition winner for 2022.

The go-getter is also a farming influencer for Standard Bank, Sunday World reported.

The farmer supports her son and her mother with the business, and trains other young people who are interested in agriculture:

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“After the training, I buy them seeds so they can start planting. In that way, I'm encouraging backyard farming.

“Some plant for their own consumption, which means they cut down on buying vegetables, and others plant to resell. To date, I've trained more than 200 people.”

Ncumisa notes that female farmers face many challenges and are often not taken seriously, but despite the struggles, she will never stop fighting for her dreams.

The Khayelitsha resident advises young ladies who want to farm to always believe in themselves and work hard:

“Never let anyone invalidate your dreams and tell you it’s impossible. Be 100% authentic; never try to be anybody else but yourself.”

Triple threat: Supermom overcomes GBV background to start farming biz, write novel and graduate, all before 22

In a related story by Briefly News, a doting mother is proving that her background won’t define her and is growing a poultry farming business and reached several other career milestones, all by age 21.

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The young lady didn’t have an easy upbringing and grew up in homes where she was exposed to hardship. But despite her traumatic childhood, Ntobeko Mafu, 21, is determined to make something of her life.

Source: Briefly News