During a hot summer day on a 2.5-hectare farm in Zuurbekom, Gauteng, Neo Mdluli and her team of farmworkers are tending to their crops for the current planting season. It is a labour of love that has been in her family for generations.
She is the CEO of Mdluli Agri-Ventures, a dynamic, family-owned agricultural cooperative owned by its passionate producer members. Their core business is vegetable production, which they grow and rotate seasonally between their open fields and tunnels.
Family affair
As the CEO, Mdluli oversees the strategic operations of the company and is responsible for setting the vision and goals of the farm alongside her father, Makhosini, who is the managing director of Mdluli Agri-Ventures. While they oversee all the strategic decisions, Mdluli’s little brother, Sive, is the boots on the ground, ensuring the farm reaches its business goals by closely monitoring crop cultivation.
Together, they mainly produce spinach, tomatoes, corn, chillies, and many others, with potatoes holding a special significance to the family’s farming history. “The most successful crops that we have planted in our region include peppers, sweet potato, and watermelon,” shares Mdluli.
‘Building our farm forward’
Over two decades ago, Mdluli was introduced to farming by her zealous grandparents, Puleng Evelyn, and her late husband, Bethuel. Mdluli was barely out of her diapers when she moved to their farm in Zuurbekom, where she and her younger brother were raised and trained on how to manage the farm.
Her grandparents registered Mdluli Fresh Produce (Pty) Ltd, which was later managed by Makhosini.
“The fundamental lessons and values I learned from my parents and grandparents is the importance of growing as much of your food as possible and that is the one lesson I aim to pass on to the next generation,” says Mdluli.
After a stint in corporate as a service consultant and financial advisor, she pursued agriculture and attended several courses and workshops.
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A fresh start
Upskilling herself would be key to the next phase of her agricultural journey. In August 2022, she and her brother took charge of the family business with the intention of bringing new, fresh, and innovative ideas for growing the farm.
“Knowing that my grandparents had dreams of pursuing agriculture on a full-time basis and realising just how big of an investment had already been made into growing the farm, is what encouraged me to take over the operations of the business and to formalise it,” she says.
How the farm operates
The farm uses conventional farming methods and chemicals to supplement and fertilise their soil. They have a shade net infrastructure of 2500 square meters which helps with pest control.
“We scout our fields, tunnels, and shade net regularly, allowing us to identify any pests and to spray our crops well before they contaminate all the produce,” Mdluli explains enthusiastically.
Mdluli Agri-Ventures feed their soil with local organic livestock manure, ensuring that their soil has enough nutrients to support their long-term sustainability goals. They also successfully manage their soil health and fertility by conducting regular soil tests. And depending on the results, they feed their soil the relevant nutrition.
Mdluli Agri-Ventures owns JoJo tanks, with their irrigation systems being managed and serviced by municipal water. “We have water barrels that allow us to store water and to use the drip irrigation systems that water the crops in the tunnels and shade net,” she says.
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Overcoming obstacles
“Managing the farm daily is demanding and like many other small-scale farmers, the biggest challenge is funding. This has been at the root of the slow progress over the years.”
Windy and heavy rain seasons also challenge their business.
Crossing borders with their produce
Mdluli Agri-Ventures markets include the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market and the informal market, selling to local street vendors and customers who buy directly from them.
“My vision is to witness our produce crossing borders, and our operations expanding so that we employ and empower as many young black people as possible within the agricultural sector,” says Mdluli.
Currently, they are in the process of acquiring their global gap (GAP) certificate, which will allow them to access bigger, international markets.
While this farming family may be far from their aspirations, and only time will tell in which direction they will grow next, with a global gap certificate on its way they are destined for the global stage.
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