Before he became a farmer, Percy Moleka Komane’s life followed a normal path until grade 10, when a classroom connection sparked a total shift in direction. What started as a hustle funded with saved pocket money has blossomed into Komane K Farming and Projects.
A two-hectare enterprise in the heart of Praktiseer in Burgersfort, Limpopo, was born from a refusal to wait for an opportunity when he could grow his own.
Komane attended Batubatse Primary School before moving on to Sagane High School, where his farming journey took flight.
“My high school teacher, Mrs Matjle, who taught me agriculture, motivated me. What I remember most is that she didn’t just teach us from the textbook. She took us to the school garden every Friday and made us plant, water, and harvest ourselves,” he recalls.
He took those school lessons home immediately. At just 16 years old, he began saving the pocket money he received from his parents to buy his first seeds. Using a modest 6m X 5m space in his mother’s backyard, he started planting spinach and beetroot with a clear goal in mind.
“I saw that our neighbours were always looking for fresh vegetables, but they had to travel to town to buy them,” he explains. “I also wanted to stop asking my parents for pocket money.”
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Earning the family’s support
Initially, his mother, Mpho Komane, was not happy with his choice to spend his time in the garden. However, her mind changed when she saw him actually selling his produce and bringing money to the household.
Once the business proved its viability, the scepticism turned into an active partnership. “She started to support me; my mother even helped with watering the crops in the morning before I went to school,” he says.
His marketing was as grassroots as his crops. “My first advertisement was walking around the neighbourhood with a bucket of spinach and posting it on my WhatsApp.”
This early consistency paid off. Between 2020 and 2021, his backyard success attracted funding from the Productive Economic Support Initiative (Pesi). By the time he completed his matric in 2022, Komane was already an established farmer. Instead of looking for a job or furthering his studies, he chose to stay in the field.
“I went straight into farming after matric because I was already selling vegetables from my backyard to neighbours. I needed income, but I also wanted to build something of my own.”
Growing to greener pastures
To formalise his vision, he registered his business in 2025 as Komane K Farming and Projects. Due to the high demand for his fresh vegetables, he quickly outgrew the backyard space and needed to expand.
Today, he has transitioned to a leased two-hectare plot next to the Tubatse River, diversifying his crops to include onions, cabbage, and peppers alongside his original beetroot and spinach.
This growth has allowed him to hire two full-time men and two part-time women, transitioning from a solo hustle to a community employer. His produce now reaches local retailers, including A1 Food Store, Factory Shop, Tubatse Super Spar, and Nesta Food Store.
His dedication also reached a national milestone in 2025, when he was nominated as Young Farmer of the Year at the South African Agriculture Awards (SAAA).
Facing challenges and the road ahead
While his growth has been steady, the road has not been without its challenges. Currently, Komane faces hurdles regarding market access and an increasingly unpredictable climate.
He is actively mitigating these risks by utilising direct marketing to maintain his retail relationships and adopting climate-smart practices to protect his yields.
Looking forward, these obstacles have only sharpened his resolve to scale even further. “In the next four years, I want to move from two hectares to 16 hectares of land next to Motodi Village. That land needs water and infrastructure. I also want to win the South Africa Agriculture Award this year, 2026,” he vows.
For those planning to follow a similar path, Komane’s advice is rooted in the patience he learned in his mother’s backyard.
“Start with what you have and love what you do. Attend farmers’ workshops and meetings for mentorship and guidance.”
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