Lerato Phiri and Phumzile Nkonyane met during a piggery training programme and instantly recognised their mutual desire to start a business together. Phiri brought fresh ideas and a new perspective, while Nkonyane contributed a unique set of skills, forming a well-rounded team with diverse capabilities.
They founded their company, Optimist Agri-farming, in 2021 with each partner contributing R2 500. They launched their poultry enterprise with 200 chicks.
Today, the farming duo lease 10 hectares of land in Ermelo, Mpumalanga where they farm with at least 1 200 chickens per cycle, operate a well-run piggery and cultivate a thriving patch of spinach.
The key to a successful partnership
For their partnership to work, both ladies must have a shared vision and mutual desire to build a successful business together.
“Working together as a team made our partnership successful. Listening to each other and making plans together, strengthened our bond and made us work even harder,” shares Nkonyane.
Phiri, who learned the basics of farming from her mother, Sonto Shongwe, believes they reached this point through hard work and being clear about their goals.
“Phumzile handles the paperwork because she has the skills, and I focus on marketing because I’m more outspoken,” explains Phiri.
Their advice to anyone working with partners is to listen to each other’s opinions and address issues promptly. They emphasise the importance of not letting emotions cloud decision-making in the workplace.
The right training and support to grow
Phiri and Nkonyane credit the Mpumalanga department of agriculture’s Fortune 40 farming programme where they acquired essential knowledge about crop and livestock farming, including piggery management. This enabled them to expand their broiler enterprise to include pigs.
The piggery received support from the Fortune 40 farming programme , who provided them with one boar and seven sows to start their operations. They have grown to about 30 pigs, selling to the community every two months.
They also started planting spinach brought on by customer demand. “We also have one farmworker who helps with the pigs and vegetables,” Phiri says.
She adds that their main goal is to own a butchery and an agricultural school for those who want to start their own food gardens. “Even if it is just for sustenance.”
Additionally, Phiri notes they are working on getting their products into supermarkets. Currently, they supply clients in Ermelo, Davel, Sheepmore and Bethal.
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