Managing a successful career can be quite a challenge at times, let alone juggling two. But Solomon Makgato thrives under such a chock-a-block schedule.
On weekdays, Makgato plies his trade as a salesman at a store in Botlokwa, just outside Polokwane in Limpopo. But after hours and on weekends, he rocks his farming outfit to work his one-hectare backyard farm and four-hectare plot.
“I have one helper who assists me at the farm, and who, of course, needs some assistance. So, whenever I knock off at work, I assist him after hours and even on weekends.
“Normally in farming, even if you hire someone, their love for the farm won’t be the same as yours,” he tells Food For Mzansi.
“You must always be on the farm so that things can be done according to how you want them to be done. Also, after work, I have ample time that allows me to assist at the farm. And above all, farming is something that I enjoy doing. It’s not something that I view as a burden.”
Here, the salesman cum farmer rotationally grows a wide range of cultivars – including spinach, beetroot, green pepper, onion, butternut and cabbage – under his company name, God is good farming.
Mistakes as a learning curve
Though Makgato now supplies a local Boxer store, street hawkers and entrepreneurs with his harvests, he has had quite a rocky start in farming.
Unlike most fledgling farmers who are slowly introduced to farming by their mentors and are unleashed when they are fully fledged, Makgato, unfortunately, didn’t have anyone to lean on. And the results were disastrous.
Farming is not a bed full of roses, says Makgato.
“You will fail repeatedly and learn until you get your desired outcomes. When I started farming six years ago, I was one of the first few farmers in my area who farmed on a large piece of land and commercialised farming, while other farmers were only practising as subsistence farmers. So, you could say that it was learning on the job. I had no mentor, and with that came a lot of mistakes.”
He further states that after growing nearly 30 000 heads of cabbages two years back, his inexperience led to all those veggies being destroyed by affix worms. In retrospect to that painful incident, Makgato is now somewhat grateful for the lessons learned.
“I don’t treat it as a loss. It was an invaluable lesson, which I wouldn’t have bought anywhere. With this little experience, I have no doubt whatsoever that I can now manage even bigger farms,” he assuredly says.
Empowering the youth
While he could have chosen not to share his farming knowledge, Makgato has instead chosen to pass it on to the youth at Ga-Ramatjowe.
He has taken two boys in the mould of Rasi Malahlela and Bilankulu under his wing.
The decision, he says, was necessitated by the pain he felt seeing fellow villagers buy everything from the shops, including some simple crops that they could plant in their large backyards.
“The youth just need to be advised that, sometimes in life, it’s not all about working at big companies, but farming can also be the way to go, especially for those who are from villages with large backyards,” counsels Makgato
“They shouldn’t buy everything, starting from easy crops such as tomatoes and onions, which they could grow on their own. Also, we (farmers) shouldn’t be jealous of helping those who are starting. Like with me, I have two boys whom I took under my wing and mentored, and now they are independent.”
Challenges and future aspirations
Speaking on challenges in the farming business, Makgato mentions electricity shortages and inappropriate fencing as major problems.
“I use a generator, which requires fuel to pump water, as there is no electricity at the site. I first pump water for three hours, which then goes through the pressure pump before reaching the drip lines. Another challenge is that the fencing is not too strong for wild animals.”
While these challenges are taking their toll on Makgato’s business, all hope is not lost. If he were to receive some form of funding, Makgato says that his dream of employing even more people at the site and improving the resources would surely soon come to fruition.
Makgato’s top tip for starters
Choose farm crops that are easy to maintain. Onions and sweet potatoes are easy to maintain as they require little water and chemicals and are also in high demand.
Crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and cabbages can be a challenge, especially when you’re just starting. Spinach also does not qualify to be classified as an easy crop as it requires a lot of water.
ALSO READ: How ‘Dr Farmer’ juggles 3 farms and a medical career
Get Stories of Change: Inspirational stories from the people that feed Mzansi.
