Young, Victorious Female Entrepreneur Made Name for Herself With Rooftop Farm

• A fabulous and successful young farmer endured hardships on her journey in agriculture
• Speaking to Briefly News, Andile Matukana shared how doubt was cast on her ability to succeed because she is a woman
• She did not let that define her and now empowers other young women to farm through her business and training

When she was a child, Andile Matukane wanted to be a dentist.

But that all changed in high school when she became interested in where food comes from.

After many challenges and failures, today, the gorgeous Matukane runs a successful hydroponic farm atop the classy Menlyn Shopping Centre.

Andile spoke to Briefly News about her journey from the classroom to the rooftop where Farmers’ Choice is located.

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“I became fascinated with where food comes from when I did agriculture in high school,” the Mpumalanga-born beauty said. “People always thought that food came from supermarkets, but I wanted to know more.

“I had this strong urge to know how a seed turns into a tomato. I knew the knowledge was introductory in high school, so I furthered my studies.”

Andile obtained a Diploma in Agriculture at the University of Mpumalanga and a BTech and a Master’s in Agriculture at Tshwane University of Technology.

She became one of the few women that ventured into agriculture at a young age.

It wasn’t easy navigating a sector where men dominated for a long time, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward.

Furthermore, it was challenging to obtain her qualifications without finances.

Without a bursary, she had to make means to finance herself and did so through her business.

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“For example, when I did my masters in Tshwane, I had to travel from Tshwane to Potchefstroom in the North West to do my research,” she pointed out. “When I started farming, it was not normal for young women to be in the farming industry. In those early days, I got many side looks and comments from men asking me what I was doing. People did not believe I could do it, but I elected to focus on achieving my goal.”

Matukana made many mistakes which she considered lessons that contributed to her growth and growing success.

“I started with open-field farming, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to stop farming. That is when I thought of hydroponic farming.”

She is proud of her journey and where she is in her career, and taking advantage of the opportunities for women in agriculture.

As a female farmer, she feels like women are now being recognised for their achievements in agriculture compared to before.

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“I can now inspire other people, especially young women, to look at agriculture with an interesting eye.”

She also provides accredited training through the AgriSETA (Agriculture Sector Education and Training Authority).

She imparted a few words of wisdom to women wanting to venture into agriculture.

“It starts with one step. If you have one seed, plant it and watch it grow into a crop which can yield three cobs,” she said.

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that a woman on TikTok wowed Mzansi when she showed off her successful farm in the Free State.

@mme.motloung’s post gave netizens a glimpse into the average day of a farmer, and her passion was received with applause and praise.

South Africans approved of her hard work and determination and waxed lyrical about her in the comments section.

Source: Briefly News