For some people, when something keeps tugging at the heart, they stop and listen. That’s how Balilethu Livestock was born. Founded by Aphelele Ndamase from Mount Frere in KwaZulu-Natal, the business grew from a simple wish to walk in her father’s footsteps to a women-led enterprise that reaches far and wide.
Ndamase grew up surrounded by her father, Simile Ndamase’s cattle and sheep, and remembers how he sold fresh produce, mainly potatoes, from the back of his van in town.
Her mother, Dora, also inspired her, as she enjoyed raising chickens, which influenced Ndamase to include poultry in her business.
Raising calves
After completing matric, Ndamase studied public management at Esayidi TVET College in Kokstad from 2016 to 2018 and completed her in-service training at Enhlanhleni Combined School and Ixopo High School in KwaZulu-Natal. Although her course focused on governance and municipal laws, she realised early on that it was not the field she wanted to build her future in.
During this period, she relied on digital marketing, buying and reselling products online, which allowed her to develop business skills and save money to invest in her agribusiness.
In 2023, she launched Balilethu Calves, starting with bottle-fed calves for people interested in raising them.
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“From the start, I wanted my business to be about more than just sales. I created support structures for clients so I could pass down all that I learned from my father and my mentors in agriculture to people who wanted to start their farming journeys,” she says.
By 2024, the business had expanded to include a wider variety of livestock, breeding cattle, pregnant cows, sheep, lambs, broiler chickens, Lohmann Brown layers, and day-old chicks. She also grows crops such as cabbage and spinach.
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Ndamase explains that her mission was to create a trustworthy, one-stop agricultural business where clients could find almost all the livestock they needed in one place.
“We rebranded from Balilethu Calves to Balilethu Livestock because we now have a variety of livestock available.”
She operates as a sole trader, primarily focusing on livestock farming. Her main breed is beef, reflecting her father’s background in raising cross-breeds. The current stock includes Hereford cross, Beefmaster cross, Angus cross, Charolais cross, Brahman cows, pure Nguni pregnant cows, and dairy cross calves.
Connecting with customers
Ndamase has built her clientele mainly through social media, and the business also grows when she delivers calves in person. People see her, exchange numbers, and the business gains clients through these interactions.
Her farm, now operating in Underberg, KwaZulu-Natal, produces spinach and cabbage on 24 hectares of land. The main buyers are people who resell the produce, particularly clients in Mount Frere town, hawkers, and customers from Kokstad. For calves, she delivers across KwaZulu-Natal and some orders to the Eastern Cape.
Beyond livestock, Ndamase assists crop farmers who have difficulty finding markets for their produce.
“I help by buying and selling fresh produce on their behalf, connecting farmers directly with buyers.”
She explains that her business is cost-effective. Since most of the stock is already purchased, maintenance costs are low.
“Clients either collect their animals, or we deliver directly to them; nothing stays with us. I also collaborate with credible farmers who supply the livestock and produce my clients’ needs.”
This model benefits both farmers without market access and consumers seeking livestock. Ndamase has been recognised and nominated for the South African Agricultural Awards, which has motivated her to expand her business responsibly.
“My goal is to build a sustainable, community-driven agribusiness that puts clients first, provides the kind of support my father never had, and helps others in agriculture.”
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