Though Mphatso Sithole once dreamed of being an astronaut or a motorsport spinner, agricultural science ultimately won his heart. Now holding an honours degree in agronomy and horticulture from North-West University, the young farmer is driven by a passion for food security.
As the founder of Mphatso Poultry Pty Ltd, he is turning family inspiration into reality.
His father and grandfather farmed together, while his mother managed subsistence crops at home in Kwaggafontein’s Dobha Village, Mpumalanga.
Childhood chore shapes a farming career
In 2015, his mother, Emmah, was unemployed, and with her husband George Ndlhovu’s support, she started a small broiler business. A young Sithole was asked to help around the yard.
“As a child, it felt like a punishment because I just wanted to play with my friends instead,” he recalls.
Five years later, when his mother secured a job, the responsibility of managing the business fell entirely on him while he was in grade 12.
“Every morning before school, I made sure the chickens had feed and water,” he says. “It was during this period that I realised I wanted to see myself working in agriculture.”
In 2021, Sithole took a gap year to figure out his path before heading to tertiary education. “I realised that although I had more exposure to animal production, my true passion actually lay in crop production.”
His parents advised him to have a backup plan. “Since I was already interested in agriculture, they suggested that I study it formally. As a result, I paused the business.”
That led him to North-West University in 2022, where he specialised in agronomy and horticulture.
Hustling through university
At university, Sithole met Bakang Modungwa. The two worked together as soil science tutors and started a small campus business selling products to fellow students.
“We became strong business partners, and our efforts allowed us to earn extra income,” he says.
In 2025, another milestone came when he was supervised by Dr Boginkosi Vilakazi, a senior lecturer in the crop science department.
Sithole says, “During one lecture, he reminded us that university is not only about acquiring a qualification, but also about developing soft skills and placing ourselves in different spaces.”
Following that advice, he led a garden project at the NWU Khayelitsha Residence, sharing fresh produce with residents, students, and staff members.
He also co-founded and served as chairperson of the Soil Science Society. “That experience helped me become more social, creative, and confident in leadership.”
By December that year, Sithole returned home using savings earned from tutoring and selling eggs. “I repaired my grandmother’s bakkie and started selling potatoes with a former NWU classmate.”
While running the business, he was provisionally awarded the NRF-DAAD master’s scholarship for the 2026 academic year.
“I felt torn between staying home to grow my business without knowing where enough capital would come from or returning to university with full funding.”
Sithole decided to choose entrepreneurship instead. He also skipped his graduation ceremony.
“I told my parents that I wanted to use the money intended for graduation to restart the broiler business. Although they were sad, they agreed.”
An agribusiness sprouts
By skipping graduation, Sithole saved R10 500 by sacrificing his first formal suit, shoes, regalia, and transport costs. He invested R1 500 into 2 500 Swiss chard seedlings and spent R500 on agrichemicals.
“The remaining money was used for broiler production, specifically Ross 308 chicks, feed, stress packs, and vaccines,” he explains.
Unfortunately, the Swiss chard crop failed. “That taught me a hard lesson: in farming, things do not always go according to plan,” he reflects. “What matters is learning from mistakes, adjusting quickly, and developing a thick skin.”
He registered his business as Mphatso Poultry Pty Ltd in January 2026. His main market consists of local households, particularly Sassa pensioners who buy on credit and pay when they receive their grants.
“In just six months, I’ve grown production to 250 chickens from 50. I’ve paused the crop project for now, and I’m waiting for winter to pass so I can plant summer crops again.
“In addition, my father, George Ndlhovu, owns a small food outlet in Cosmo City. We supply him with baby chickens weighing between 800g and 900g,” Sithole adds.
High feed costs remain a major challenge, made worse by a lack of nearby major retailers.
Water scarcity also poses a severe threat in Kwaggafontein, where municipal water only runs once a week for 12 hours or less. “This forces me to plan carefully and store water in drums for both my chickens and irrigation.”
Ultimately, Sithole envisions Mphatso Poultry as a nationwide, fully integrated farm that creates local employment and supplies fresh, affordable produce to major retailers.
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