Livestock for Livelihoods expands to boost emerging NC farmers

Two years into its launch, the Livestock for Livelihoods initiative in Noupoort, Northern Cape, is entering a strategic new phase that prioritises value-chain development and improved market access for emerging farmers in the Umsobomvu Local Municipality.

Implemented as Nordex Energy South Africa’s (NESA) economic development contribution linked to the Koruson 2 construction project, the programme was established in late 2024. The aim was to initially improve income-generating opportunities through livestock ownership, supporting participating farmers to strengthen livestock management practices and to diversify value derived from their animals.

Robert Timmers, managing director of Nordex Energy South Africa, said livestock for livelihoods was moving from foundational farmlevel interventions to unlocking sustainable market value for farmers.

“Strengthening governance and market access, especially in the wool to textile chain, is critical to creating longterm income opportunities, particularly for women and youth,” he said.

Addressing water and municipal challenges

The early implementation of the programme revealed a major constraint: insufficient water infrastructure on municipality approved commonage land. Farmers were keeping their livestock at their homes to secure water access, which created management and compliance challenges.

To address this, the programme supported the installation of boreholes on the commonage land, improving water access and enabling livestock management practices that align with municipal bylaws.

Meanwhile, Lynn Munsamy, transformation manager at NESA, said they were already seeing practical, visible changes with farmers relocating stock to the commonage.

“They have started shearing activities and making initial wool sales. This shows the value of pairing infrastructure with targeted training and market linkages,” Munsamy said.

Supporting women in agriculture

The programme currently supports 24 farmers in Noupoort with roughly one-third of the cohort women. A key focus of the new phase is enabling meaningful local participation in the wool value chain and linked textile opportunities with an emphasis on expanding income for female participants.

In addition, NESA is now building on Noupoort’s agricultural foundations by exploring expansion into neighbouring Middelburg. Early engagements and a hydrogeological study will shape planned interventions scheduled for June to September 2026.

Preliminary findings indicate up to 30 farmers could participate, with implementation adapted to the conditions of three commonage areas: Midros, Lusaka and KwaNonzame.

“This initiative continues Nordex’s long-standing commitment to actively contributing to the local communities where we operate.

“The support and partnership of these communities are fundamental to our success, and we remain committed to contributing to their long-term development,” Timmers said.