Trading his banking suit for farming boots, Thokozane Ndlovu left the world of finance behind to cultivate a new life on a two-hectare family farm in Vereeniging, Gauteng. Here, with the support of his family, Ndlovu has transformed their modest plot into a thriving hub of diverse livestock, combining his business acumen with a passion for agriculture.
Farming has always been a part of Ndlovu’s life, though it wasn’t his initial career path.
He explains, “Farming chose me; it has always been my father’s wish for me to study farming because, growing up, it was part of my home chores. I, however, chose to study operations management and worked at a bank for six years.”
A passion that never died
Ndlovu’s return to farming was largely due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“After my employment ended during Covid-19, I struggled to find another job, but this allowed me to rediscover my passion for animals.”
This revived passion drove him to open his own company, Zidle Khaya KaNdlovu Livestock Enterprise.
His livestock includes 36 cows, 109 brown layer chickens, and a small flock of pygmy goats, all of which contribute to his income through the sale of milk, calves that go through a feedlot, eggs, and auctioning livestock.
“My day-to-day responsibilities now include milking the cows, feeding the chickens, and feeding the calves, which are on the food lot programmes. Due to grazing land, I have employed a herdsman to take care of the beef cattle grazing.”
The farm’s market is local, but Ndlovu notes a unique approach to selling his products. “We place an advertising board at the farm and distribute flyers for a market day where we normally offer specials. We also sell to the community and the local markets around Vereeniging.”
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Bouncing back from challenges
Ndlovu shares that he is currently actively attending workshops and online learning sessions to keep up with new challenges he could face on the farm. He is no stranger to hardship as the emotional toll of farming was starkly highlighted for him due to a recent break-in.
“In March 2024, we had a break-in which resulted in the theft of 15 goats, a loss that has impacted me deeply emotionally. I was deeply hurt and confused but I believe I will bounce back and protect my business.”
“Running a farm also requires dedication and consistency, which sometimes is a challenge juggling your personal life and making sure that every animal is well looked after. What I’ve also learned through disease challenges, is the importance of having knowledge on animal health management.”
Despite the challenges, Ndlovu is proud of the skills he has developed from the hardships, as it has also taught him the importance of mastering feeding, as he believes feed plays a huge role in profits as a farmer.
“I’ve learnt the ability to mix and feed a high-energy diet over a short period to produce a good-grade meat product, which helps reduce feeding costs for the feedlot cattle.”
“I have never had the ability to be patient, but ever since I’ve given my heart and time to this farm, I’ve grown to be patient and to know that good results require dedication, perseverance, and time. Passion is everything.”
Looking ahead, Ndlovu envisions expanding Zidle Khaya KaNdlovu Livestock Enterprise into a leading meat supplier in South Africa.
“My dream and goal going forward is to be part of the commercial producers in South Africa and to play a role in the reduction of the high food prices our people face on a daily basis in this economy.”
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