HR graduate ditches desk for piggery: Zintle builds thriving farm

Forget the corporate ladder. Zintle James from Sterkspruit in Makhetheng Village, Eastern Cape, traded her HR Diploma for a feeding trough and a whole lot of heart. What started with two pigs in her backyard, has blossomed into a growing small-scale piggery business and she isn’t stopping there.

With a lease agreement for a 10-hectare property in hand, James is ready to take her operation to the next level, proving that big dreams can sprout from the smallest of beginnings.

Her enterprise, Smeja’s Fresh Harvest, is a small-scale mixed farming business primarily focused on pig production. It all began when James, a human resources graduate from Ikhala TVET College, had her in-service training disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown. She decided to visit her sister in Gqeberha.

“During my visit to Gqeberha, I had the opportunity to speak with my brother-in-law, a seasoned farmer from his hometown of Ngqamakhwe. He shared valuable tips which inspired me to start my farming journey,” she says.

Zintle was able to expand her piggery thanks to the support she received from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) in October 2022. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Building her business took a lot of sacrifice. James started her enterprise using the R350 Covid-19 grant, with help from her mother who contributed her disability grant.

“I began following Facebook pages and connected with experienced farmers who inspired me.”

In August that year, she returned home and purchased three more pigs, marking the start of her farming venture. By September 2021, James had registered her business with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), enabling her to apply for funding. Her application was soon approved.

In October 2022, she sought assistance from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and received R46 746 in November.

She says although securing funding can seem impossible, especially for newcomers in the industry, she “sold” herself during her NYDA presentation.

Impressive mission statement secures funding

James says the NYDA was impressed with her mission statement and she answered all their inquiries during their project inspection. With the funds, she bought pigs for R23 000 and purchased feed and vaccines with the remaining money.

“I am the only young person with a piggery project in my community,” she adds.

James acknowledges that without the funds, her business might not have progressed as it has. “The funding changed my life because now I was able to change the breed that I had [Landrace] and got a commercial breed from Green Pigs SA.”

She has also expanded to growing vegetables and started raising broiler chickens in 2023.

Her vegetable garden includes cabbage, spinach, carrots, and mustard spinach, which she cultivates for subsistence alongside her chickens. Using damaged planks purchased from a local hardware store, James constructed a temporary structure consisting of five rooms for her pigs.

While James occasionally sells her vegetables upon request, she notes there is much to learn before actively marketing them. Her piggery business creates the main cash flow. “I do sell vegetables and broilers when one asks.”

Facebook has been instrumental in promoting her business, even reaching those not on social media.

James notes, “The people in my community came in large numbers to buy the pork once I started selling. I realised I didn’t make a profit because I did not have a scale.”

Despite this, James remains committed to learning and growing her farming business.

Zintle James tending to her little piglets. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Hard work pays off

She recently invested in a digital pricing scale, which has significantly improved her profitability. However, she emphasises that her primary goal remains providing fresh pork at an affordable price for her customers.

“I received calls from people who wanted to buy a whole pig, especially in December, so I also sell them like that.”

James has reached many milestones along the way. In 2023, she received the NYDA Trailblazer’s Award, recognising her as a young rural entrepreneur. In 2024, she became an NYDA mentor and received signage support from the Senqu Municipality, enhancing her business’s visibility.

“The [former] minister of agriculture, Thoko Didiza, also visited my project,” she says.

Meet the host farmers for our 2024 provincial farmer days!

Future aspirations

James aims to grow her business until she owns a full-scale piggery farm and butchery, with a focus on supplying local markets. Her wishlist includes owning butcheries that offer pork and other essentials like sauces, spices, and biltong.

“I want to create job opportunities in my community. I have a lease on 10 hectares of land and plan to secure funding to build a proper structure,” she says.

Due to financial challenges, the plot currently has no fencing, which she needs to install first to make it fully operational.

Offering advice to other aspiring young farmers, James says, “Start with what you have and remember that farming isn’t just for older people, as many youths might think. There are funding opportunities available for young farmers; you just need to work hard and pursue them.”