In the rural landscape of Nhlazatje, Mpumalanga, Iris Nompumelelo Nkosi is cultivating a legacy that bridges the gap between traditional farming and modern entrepreneurship. As the founder of Sphiwe Ithemba Empire, Nkosi has turned a lifelong passion for the soil into a thriving 8.5-hectare enterprise.
Nkosi’s farming story begins in 1998. At just nine years old, while attending Khulangelwati Primary School, her passion for farming and the seeds of entrepreneurship were being sown simultaneously.
Growing up in a humble home where life was not easy, she watched her mother, Emily Nkosi, work as a domestic worker while maintaining a backyard garden to support the family.
Her love for the land was further deeply influenced by her biological father, Paulos Matsebula, a maize farmer, and her late stepfather, Saul Nkosi, who believed in her business potential.
Nkosi did not just watch her parents; she was active in the fields helping them. “Watching them work hard to provide for us inspired me to develop a love for agriculture,” she recalls.
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Alongside her chores on the farm, she began her first business venture by selling snacks at her primary school. This drive followed her through her teenage years while she completed her secondary education at Sphumelele High School.
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The path to professionalism
After matric, Nkosi enrolled at Nkangala TVET College to study electrical infrastructure engineering. While her days were filled with wires and circuits, her evenings and weekends were filled with business ideas.
It was also the same time her business began to take its professional shape. In 2022, she started buying and processing cayenne chillies to sell to her community, a move that eventually led her to seek advice from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda).
“One of the advisors, Phumlani Radebe, advised me to start planting in the backyard and to check the cayenne values when it’s rough, dry and processed,” she notes.
As she worked to implement this advice, she found a partner in both life and business in her husband, Lucky Ndlovu. Throughout her years of study, Ndlovu witnessed her unwavering dedication as she balanced her textbooks with her backyard crops. His belief in her vision turned into tangible support in February 2023, when he took a loan from his workplace to provide her with the capital she needed to scale.
Empowered by this investment, she took the major step of formally registering her business as Sphiwe Ithemba Empire that same year.
For Nkosi, the technical qualification was a safety net, but farming was the goal. “I’ve never wanted to work as an employee for any company… because companies close anytime, but farming is everyday work,” she says.
This discipline saw her successfully obtain her qualification in May 2024, graduating not just as an engineer but as the head of a functioning farming operation.
Building a dream, from 0.5 to 8.5 hectares
With the support of her husband and the technical advice from Seda, Nkosi turned her backyard into a proof-of-concept.
“I used my back [to plant] and support from the community. Over time, I reinvested profits from small sales to grow the business,” she says. “This reinvestment funded critical infrastructure, including JoJo tanks, irrigation pipes, and fencing.”
Once the business began to boom, she sought further mentorship from Pastor Sfiso Skosana, who she says is “always by my side, making sure that I always learn new things and the business is successful.” Under his guidance, she officially moved her operations out of the backyard and onto a rented 0.5-hectare plot.
“And through relentless consistency, I have expanded that operation into the significant 8.5-hectare enterprise which I manage.”
Today, Sphiwe Ithemba Empire produces onions, potatoes, and sweet peppers, supplying local retailers including Touch Your Meal Restaurant, FreshLiink Fresh Produce Market, and Roots Warehouse.
Alongside her growth, she has managed to create a name for herself; she is now famously known as the “Cayenne Chilli Lady”, as chillies remain her flagship brand and the foundation of her success.
Yet, even with this success, the road remains difficult as she is still faced with significant hurdles, including “limited access to funding, farming land, and unpredictable climate challenges”.
She says, “To overcome these, I remain disciplined in reinvesting my profits; seek professional mentorship through programmes like the Young Farmers Indaba, which is hosted by Food For Mzansi; and constantly refine my farming techniques to adapt to the shifting environment.”
Perseverance pays off
Even with these daily challenges, she has managed to turn her grit into national recognition. Nkosi’s dedication reached a milestone in 2025 when she was named the Standard Bank Kasi Pitch Award winner.
“My greatest achievement is being able to turn a small backyard hustle into a growing agribusiness and continuing to pursue farming while holding a technical qualification,” she says with pride.
Looking forward, Nkosi aims to move into full agro-processing and create permanent jobs for her community.
Her advice to others is a reflection of the hard lessons learned between the classroom and the field: “Start small, but start now. Use what you have and build step by step. Farming requires patience, consistency, and passion. Do not be afraid to learn, ask for help, and take opportunities that expose you to growth.”
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