When North West farmer and businessman Ben Otukile patiently sat in his car for over an hour for this interview, he demonstrated the level of dedication and commitment that characterises his agricultural and mining empire. This is part one of that interview featured in our Farmer Mentor podcast on Farmer’s Inside Track.
This A-student is not just a farmer. He is an inspiration, proving that excellence knows no bounds. Ben Otukile heads up Otukile and Sons Farming, an enterprise that cultivates maize, soybeans, dry beans, and sunflowers.
However, his operation based in Licthenburg, North West is not limited to crops. He also breeds Bonsmara cattle and Kalahari Red goats. His commitment to quality is evident, with over 90% of his cows registered with the SA Stud Book, ensuring exceptional breeding stock. Beyond cattle, Otukile has also registered his Kalahari Red goats and Dorper sheep.
Otukile’s story is not just about farming. He is also the owner and manager of Otukile & Sons (Pty) Ltd, a 100% black-owned enterprise specialising in engineering asset management solutions within the mining sector.
Going into farming
Otukile’s journey into agriculture and entrepreneurship wasn’t straightforward. With a background in mining engineering and about 15 years in the mining industry, he left to start his own consulting company in 2015. However, the transition wasn’t easy. He had to find alternative ways to survive and started an earthing and lightning protection business, venturing into electrical work.
“At the beginning, Otukile and Sons was only about engineering because that is what I knew,” Otukile explains.
As he navigated this new path, he didn’t forget his farming roots. Raised in a farming family, Otukile understood the importance of sustainable businesses. “One of the most sustainable businesses is farming because people will always eat. Mining eventually just finishes. Farming is continuous.”
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Losing millions
Transitioning from engineering to farming presented its own challenges, but Otukile’s business acumen and determination helped him overcome them.
“Coming from the engineering business, I knew and understood business principles. So getting into full-time farming was a bit easier for me to transfer my business knowledge into farming.”
However, farming presented its own unique challenges. In dryland farming, Otukile says, “It is only you and God. You face nature. And you live with hope.”
He experienced this firsthand when he lost about 50 hectares of sunflower due to unexpected rains and frost, resulting in a loss of half a million Rands in revenue.
“Experiencing rain and frost at the same time is something that I’ve never experienced in my life [before],” he recalls.
Otukile’s resilience and passion for farming kept him going. “Passion will make you do things that you never thought you could do,” he says. “Any challenge that you come across, you try and find means and ways to do it better the next time.”
Despite facing challenges like drought, which could potentially cause him to lose about 400 hectares of crops, Otukile remains focused on the future. “This is a revenue of about R6 million that I am potentially losing. But that does not stop me from focusing and wanting to do better.”
As he continues to thrive in both agriculture and engineering, he hopes to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles they face.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).
Option 2: Click here to listen on any Apple device.
Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
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