When opportunity didn’t come knocking, Sihle Petela created his own. The Eastern Cape farmer transformed savings from short-term jobs into a diversified farming business that now supplies major Spar, Boxer, and the fresh produce market.
Today, the founder of A Pet Trading Enterprise provides jobs to over 30 permanent and seasonal workers.
Petela’s journey began in Tabase Mission, Mthatha, in a household where farming wasn’t a hobby; it was a way of life. His family was deeply passionate about food security, and the rhythm of the seasons dictated the family’s needs. They planted for the dinner table and sold the surplus to neighbours, a first-hand lesson in the local economy that would stay with him forever.
He attended Tabase Junior Secondary School, followed by Zwelibangile High School. Even then, his mind was on the business of things. He chose the commerce subject stream, a decision that would later give him the edge in managing his own enterprise.
Reconnecting with the soil
After matriculating in 2015, he took a gap year. For Petela, it wasn’t an idle time, but a deep dive back into his roots. Assisting with household farming activities reconnected him with the land.
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However, in 2017, the academic path called again. Patela was admitted to Walter Sisulu University, where he pursued a national diploma in management. He completed his studies in 2020, right as the world was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic.
While many were stuck indoors, Petela pursued a BTech degree through the newly introduced online systems, using his spare time away from the screen to work the soil.
“The only thing that motivated me to devote myself and time to farming was my background knowledge,” Petela reflects. “But the real push was being unemployed after graduation. Life was tough, so I decided to work the land to make ends meet and eventually employ others.”
Starting small, thinking big
In 2022, Petela took a 10-month contract as an admin clerk at Ntilini Junior Secondary School, and upon its conclusion, he transitioned into the department of education’s teacher’s assistant programme.
Throughout both roles, he was driven by a singular goal: every cent he earned was saved and funnelled directly into A Pet Trading Enterprise, a farming venture he started that same year on his family’s land.
He began with just four sows and one boar, an investment that soon yielded 43 piglets sold at R600 each. He didn’t stop there; he further diversified by introducing 200 broiler chicks and planting four hectares of maize alongside a 70 x 70 metre vegetable patch.
To accommodate this rapid growth, he expanded his reach beyond the family plot by securing additional leased land.
The road, however, hasn’t been paved with gold. Aside from a single delivery of seeds for his four hectares of maize from the department of agriculture in 2023, Petela has had to fight for every inch of progress.
“Throughout, we have been struggling with our own means of production,” he admits.
As the operation expanded, the lack of resources became a steep mountain to climb.
“One of our challenges is shortage of resources such as mechanisation and inputs. We have access to 40 hectares of land that we are struggling to cultivate because of a lack of resources to do the job. But while we don’t have the resources, we use what we have; the rest will find us on the way.”
The commercial transition
Despite these challenges, he has successfully scaled his efforts into a sophisticated commercial operation.
Today, he manages a mixed production including eight hectares of yellow maize, 200 broiler chicks, 20 piglets, and 15 turkeys – a scale that allows him to provide a livelihood for five semi-permanent workers and up to 30 seasonal harvesters.
His reach now extends far beyond the farm gate, moving his harvest directly onto retail shelves. “We have signed off-take agreements with various retail outlets, namely Spar, Boxer, and the fresh produce market.”
This knack for scaling up hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last year, he was nominated for emerging farmer of the year at the South African Agricultural Awards. He has also been a regular in high-level mentorship circles, including the 2025 Raymond Ackerman Academy of Entrepreneurship and the FNB Heavychef business programme.
“All these programmes assisted me a lot because I now know how to approach the market and what the market expects from me,” he says.
New horizons
Equipped with this new business acumen, he is already looking toward the next horizon. He plans to expand into soybeans and dry beans while moving into agro-processing, with a vision to process his own maize into crushed feed and maize meal.
His goal is to transition fully to a large commercial scale and provide stable, long-term jobs for the unemployed youth in Mthatha.
Drawing from the lessons that fuelled his own rise, he offers a clear roadmap for those wishing to go into farming.
“Work with what you have while striving for what you don’t have. Stay consistent, connect and build networks with other farmers to get potential markets and funding.”
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