Margaret Lethube Mabulane has been carrying on the legacy of farming in her family. Though the business was originally started by her mother, she soon found herself falling in love with the sector. Mabulane is one of the extraordinary women selected for Corteva Women Agripreneur Programme 2022, a year-long blended development programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA).
Mabulane’s farming journey started in 2010, when she helped her mother, Tshitsadi, debush an area on the family farm to clear space for their operation. They were starting from scratch, and she found that the process fascinated her. This spark of interest became a full-blown passion, pushing her to learn more about the industry.
In 2014, while Mabulane was helping run the farm, she started attending the Tswane University of Technology to study crop science. Since then, Mabulane has managed to expand the family business much more.
She has also invested more in her education, enrolling for the Corteva Women Agripreneur Programme in 2022. Like the other women in the programme, she immediately recognised how valuable an opportunity it is.
“I was keen to meet with different women who are in the farming industry, to share ideas with them, to develop each other and to grow. The programme is a huge opportunity for me as a farmer.”
Mabulane’s farm is registered under the business name “Rea Dira Lehumo”, and is based in Limpopo in a village called Elandskraal. Mabulane farms with cotton on 40 of their 100 hectares of farmland, while rotating three vegetable crops on one and a half hectares.
Finding a true connection
For Mabulane, farming is an all-consuming vocation. She says her passion for the work she does is so strong that she dreams about farming and wakes up with farming on her mind.
“I’m so connected to it. It’s in everything that I touch, and I think about it and talk about it. I have become so spiritual about it, that’s why sometimes I think it is my spiritual calling to be in farming.”
Like many smallholders, Mabulane held hopes of commercialisation. Her hopes came true in 2017, but full actualisation of her business is still being held back by financial and infrastructural challenges.
“The main challenge currently is that we need an irrigation system for our cotton production. We are farming with cotton on dry land and our main goal is to see ourselves producing good quality products with high yield. But we can’t reach those goals because we do not have an adequate irrigation system.”
Like many South African farmers, Mabulane’s resilience, despite the challenges, is closely tied to her deep commitment to the sector. Passion for farming is central to her outlook, and keeps her focused on what can otherwise be a demoralising profession.
“Farming challenges are very difficult, and they can make you lose your way and want to give up on farming. Many people think farming is easy and simple, but it is as difficult as any other business. So, the passion keeps me strong when I’m losing hope. It keeps me going.”
Giving a lifeline to young people
When Mabulane’s mother passed away in 2020, they created a non-profit organisation named after her. The Tshitsadi Foundation is dedicated to the training and upskilling of youth and other community members.
“She was so passionate about assisting people and wanting people to get more educated, so we created a foundation called Tshitsadi Foundation. It is a non-profit company, and under it, we run a programme called Give a Life.”
Through Give a Life Mabulane teaches the youth more about the farming industry in general, not just the farming aspects thereof.
“We assist young farmers who are starting in the industry. We teach them about crop production and about farming, but also about agribusiness. Most of them are not aware of things like compliance and formal record keeping and other things in the farming business.”
Upskilling is not the only service provided by Give a Life. They also run vegetable gardens and host students.
“We develop vegetable gardens for disability centres, and for youth who are interested in farming. We also host students and people who want to learn more on our farm. Currently, we have five youths that are working at our vegetable garden for the experience.”
Mabulane’s advice for aspiring women farmers is to treat their farming operation like a business.
“You must be passionate about farming because without passion, you won’t survive. It’s very difficult, but you must also remember that it is a business. You must make it your baby so that it can grow. Farming is not child’s play.”
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