Ngwanarachuene Mampane found a passion for agriculture during high school. She became an environmental practitioner and also eventually created her own business to help struggling farmers. Mampane is one of the amazing women selected for the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022, a year-long blended development programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA).
Born and raised in Moletjie GaMaribana village in Polokwane, Mampane’s love for agriculture started 31 years ago when her mother, Tlou Mesenga, decided to send her to an agricultural high school.
Initially thinking that her parents are throwing her into this “farming school life”, she eventually developed a deep love for the agricultural industry.
“My love and exposure to agriculture started when my parents took me to the Harry Oppenheimer Agricultural High School [in1991]. I studied practical agriculture in a real farm learning environment, and little did I know that this would be my much-loved career.”
Adding knowledge to passion
Mampane obtained her undergraduate degree at the Tshwane University of Technology and her honours degree in agriculture at the University of South Africa (Unisa). She is currently working on completing her master’s degree.
“My role there was to do land use planning, soil analysis and natural resources auditing. So I was in agriculture, but not in crop or animal [farming]. I was in natural resources.”
She became an environmental practitioner for the Gauteng department of agriculture and rural development from 2005 to 2014. “[I] did the environmental courses on the side, got accredited and registered for the profession.”
Though it was not direct commercial farming, there was always a contribution made to the industry, she says.
Jack of all trades
Mampane is a jack of all trades and has qualifications in a variety of fields.
“I am an independent registered environmental assessment practitioner (EAP) with the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA), a certificated agricultural scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and also an active affiliate of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA-SA), the South African branch.”
She explains that it was time to use the love she had for the industry to start her own business. In 2015, Mampane left her full-time job in government to service farmers in different provinces.
“I am the founder and director of Westleigh Environmental Services (WES), which is an environmental compliance and natural resources management company registered in 2010. It focuses mainly on providing professional support services to the agricultural industry.”
These services are offered nationally and include soil surveys, water sampling, farm planning, farm mapping, farm screening, water use licencing and environmental impact assessments.
Because of her expertise, she was able to create a successful business.
Challenges with the business
Starting a full-time business was not easy, but Mampane knew that she wanted to take the leap of faith and do what she loves. But leaving behind a fixed salary for a business she wasn’t sure off would succeed, was challenging.
“The challenge was the start-up, the courage to say, ‘I am going to start. But once I went into business, everything just worked out well because we started at the bottom.”
Another challenge was building clients, but she earned that trust and managed to build a good name for the company.
When days are dark and her motivation seems to fail, she is always reminded of her mother’s strength, who was an entrepreneur and conservationist in her days.
“When I look at her, she is almost seventy, but she is still working and still loves what she does.”
Mampane says her mother loves using the phrase “nothing goes to waste”, and she applies it now in her own life.
Her mother’s love for the fields helps her wake up each day to continue the work.
Corteva programme
Mampane expresses that the Corteva Women Agripreneur programme changed her life. There’s a lot of well-knowledged mentors and faculty support.
She adds that the programme keeps her on her toes and opens many doors to connect with other businesswomen.
“I am privileged and excited to have been selected as part of the 2022 cohort Women in Agriculture Programme. I’d like to give Corteva and GIBS a big thank you. I look forward to self-development, and to growing both personally and professionally as a businesswoman.”
“I aim to also collaborate with other women in business. The programme helps me to be motivated and be on my toes, and also implement the things that I always wished to do in my business. My mentor, Mr Tukisang Senna, has been my coach and the GIBS faculty members are knowledgeable in the matters of agricultural business.”
Mampane believes that women can do anything and with the right help, can succeed in the agricultural industry.
She encourages women to continue to build a voice for each other, especially in a male-dominated field. “Women must not be afraid to ask. It’s important to do the research and be among like-minded people to be able to succeed.”
Giving back to the community
Achieving business success is a great joy for Mampane but giving back to her community tugs at the strings of her heart, especially the love she has for women and children.
“With my love for women and children, we give back to the community through supporting women of colour and providing our professional support services to them at a much more reasonable price each year during the women’s month of August. Since our biggest clientele is white males, we wish to have more women pursuing commercial farming.
“We also support the Cornerstone Creche in Soshanguve with food supplies and festive season goodies for the kids.”
ALSO READ: This caring #SoilSista has nursing in her veins
Get Stories of Change: Inspirational stories from the people that feed Mzansi.
