In 2021, after the sudden death of her father and mentor, Mmadipilo Letlape’s farm went from being a profitable agricultural business to a neglected, unproductive farm plot. The grief and loss of her father, Phillip – who ran the farm for years – was just too painful to bear. But it’s often in the darkest of times that strength shines through.
“I wanted to leave farming and sell [the] livestock. I could not cope with losing my biggest cheerleader and mentor. My father’s death left such a huge gap in my life that I did not go to the farm for weeks.”
While picking up the pieces after the loss of her father, this North West farmer knew that she eventually had to. And she did.
Today, as the owner of Dipilo Group Farming, Letlape has not only succeeded in turning around her family’s farm, but she’s also building on her father’s legacy to help uplift and shape young small-scale farmers.
On any given day, a healthy, well-cared for cow herd can be seen grazing Letlape’s 450-hectare farm, which is located on communal land. Her market is local community members who purchase livestock for burials, weddings, and other activities. She also sells at the local auction in Rustenburg.
Twisting daddy’s hand
Letlape grew up surrounded by farmers and remembers developing a love for farming at the age of 12.
Although she wasn’t allowed to get her hands dirty until years later, simply accompanying her father and cousins to the farm was more than enough for this aspiring farmer. While they performed daily farm chores she sat under a tree.
Then finally in 2016, Letlape gathered all the courage she had and told her father that she was ready to farm. His response, however, shocked her. Phillip did not believe that his daughter really understood what she was asking, never mind having a clue about farming. So, he challenged her.
“One day [he] called me into the kraal [where we kept the] cows and asked me to point to a heifer, which I did correctly. It was then that he believed in me, however, he said I should be his manager. I told him that I wanted to farm and not become a manager.”
Her father eventually agreed and the two struck a deal. Instead of Phillip paying his daughter for her work, he would need to give her two calves every year.
“At first he thought I was being unfair to him as his offer was to pay me, but I refused payment and wanted to be part of the farming operations because that is what I love and cherish,” she says.
The power of mentorship
Because of her late father, Letlape understands the importance of having a mentor. Which is why she honours his legacy by helping new small-scale farmers level up their farming enterprises.
As the founder of a bi-annual farmer’s market and camp, Letlape brings farmers in and around North West together to share best farming practice.
The event seeks to find and help young small-scale farmers in the province grow their network and share industry information and opportunities.
“We aim to use [the camp] as a learning tool for farmers to learn from one another. As well as help farmers produce high quality beef for slaughter and auctions so that they can be profitable.”
The camp also focuses on crop production.
Letlape believes that the power of mentorship should not be underestimated. “Passion must drive everything and [having a] willingness to learn from others should be a key player in the farming journey that anyone embarks on.”
Soldering on despite challenges
Her journey has not been without challenges, but Letlape’s soldiers on.
Stock theft, she explains is rife in her village.
“[Once] my cows went missing for two days, which was [weird] as they never go on the veld without coming back. However, we were able to relocate them. We found out that there were some individuals trying to steal them by directing them to a different place.”
Another industry headache for Letlape is the fact that the sector is still being dominated by men who she says, “mostly do not want to be told or advised by a young woman”.
“They rather want to tell you how to do things. They seem like they do not want to be advised by a woman.”
Despite these challenges and not having a formal qualification in agriculture, besides a government funded small-production certificate, Letlape believes that she has a lot to offer.
Letlape wants to see more young people find a home in agriculture. However, she warns, “Young people must not come into agriculture thinking you farm today, you get money tomorrow. It is a long-term investment and [it] needs patience.”
While it will be a while before Letlape fully recovers from the death of her father, she looks forward with big plans to grow and expand the business her father left her with.
Though she loves livestock farming, Letlape intends to go into agro-processing, as well as diversify her portfolio with crop production. Something that is mostly likely to happen very soon, she says.
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