• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Young Farmer: An assistant production manager, Thabang Makola is learning as much as he can.

Opportunity found young farmer in the oddest of places

13th Jul 2021
Leave your comfort zone and make money, says foodie

Leave your comfort zone and start hustling, says foodie

1st Jul 2022
Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

1st Jul 2022
Experts have warned farmers to prepare for another steep fuel price increase this month. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Caught in a price spiral: Farmers brace for major losses

1st Jul 2022
Parts of the Western Cape, such as the Central Karoo, are still experiencing drought. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

1st Jul 2022
Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

30th Jun 2022
Research has revealed that less than three in 10 farmers in the upper parts of Africa use technology. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

30th Jun 2022
The Mamahlola Communal Property Association was among the first to be established in 2000, but due to underinvestment, their land soon turned into a symbol of government’s land restoration failure. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

The poverty-fighting tool that’s not fighting poverty

30th Jun 2022
Langeberg & Ashton Foods provides employment for around 250 permanent and 4 300 seasonal staff. Photo: Supplied

ICYMI: Search for fruit factory buyer continues

30th Jun 2022
Michele Carelse, founder, and CEO of Feelgood Health, Aquaponics horticulturalist, PJ Phiri Gwengo, Dr Didi Claassen, Afrivets executive for technical and marketing support, and Sibusiso Xaba, co-founder and CEO of Africa Cannabis Advisory Group. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Learn the basics of growing microgreens

29th Jun 2022
John Deere Launches Africa’s Largest Capacity Combine. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Get inside Africa’s largest combine harvester

30th Jun 2022
Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30% of what we throw away, and could be composted instead. Babalwa Mpayipheli uses the technique of bokashi composting. Photo: Supplird/Health For Mzansi

How to make compost with kitchen scraps

29th Jun 2022
Archive photo. The drought in a region of the Eastern Cape is already having a devastating impact on urban farmers. Photo: Supplied/NSPCA

E. Cape drought: ‘No hope. Our animals are dying’

29th Jun 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Fri, Jul 1, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

    Reggie Kambule from Villiers in the Free State runs a 185 hectare farm where he breeds livestock and cultivates maize. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Engineer-turned farmer takes pride in good results

    Agripreneur 101: Sweet success for jam producer

    Agripreneur 101: Sweet success for jam producer

    Real Housewife turns passion for wine into a business

    Real Housewife turns passion for wine into a business

    David Mthombeni is building an agriculture empire for his family.Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farmer gets his hands dirty while building family empire

    Gauteng farmers give youth a leg-up in agriculture

    Women in farming give youth a leg up in agriculture

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Watch out, these young farmers are on fire!

    Unati Speirs has vast experience in agri-business strategy and business funding and was recently appointed as a new board director for Hortgro. Photos: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Youngest Hortgro hotshot takes transformation to heart

    Prof Kennedy Mnisi a dedicated young man who wants to help livestock farmers with animal health education to prevent diseases. Picture. Supplied/ Food For Mzansi.

    Animal scientist works hard to earn top dog status

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Opportunity found young farmer in the oddest of places

by Nicole Ludolph
13th Jul 2021
in Inspiration, Young Farmer
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
Young Farmer: An assistant production manager, Thabang Makola is learning as much as he can.

An assistant production manager on a large commercial farm, Thabang Makola is learning as much as he can. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Four years ago, a freshly graduated Thabang Makola worked as a customer assistant at Woolworths. The Bachelor of Science in agriculture that he obtained from the University of Limpopo the year before was lying fallow. A customer, surprised to see his avid interest in the cover of Farmer’s Weekly, struck up a conversation with him about agriculture.  

Little did he know that that conversation would change his life.  

Thabang Mokola loves the unpredictability of farming
Thabang Mokola loves the unpredictability of farming. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

In a LinkedIn post that has now gone viral on the website, Makola explains that the customer, who was Masimo Farms’ then-CFO, Ahmed Adam, asked him if he is interested in agriculture. They exchanged numbers, and soon after, he employed Makola as an intern compliance officer on the farm. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Four years later, Makola oversees crop protection, fertilisation and irrigation as an assistant production manager. Adam has since moved on from the Limpopo-based farm, but his willingness to take a chance on Makola set the 29-year-old on the path to his dreams.  

Journey into agriculture 

The seed of agriculture was planted in Makola’s mind long before he met Adam. Growing up in Ga-Dikgale near Polokwane, he was surrounded by subsistence farmers, including his grandparents. “As a boy child, it was my responsibility to make sure that their [plants] were watered. That’s where my interest started.” 

Makola’s formal education in agriculture started in high school, where his interest in the sector was nurtured by a particularly dedicated teacher. “She was someone who was dedicated to the students. She gave each of us individual attention, which naturally leads you to like her and her subject a bit more than the rest.” 

It was during outings to agricultural institutions in high school that Makola made the conscious decision to go into a life of farming. He remembers that during that time, around 2008, food insecurity had become a big part of the agricultural conversation.  

“It was predicted then that, in the 2020s, there was going to be severe food scarcity. So, it was around that time that I decided I wanted to be part of the solution.”

He became determined to be one of the people finding solutions to make sure that the world continues to produce enough food for the growing population.

In 2011, when Makola registered to study agricultural science at University of Limpopo, he was surprised to discover that the degree he was studying was not really farming at all.  

“Agricultural science and farming are two parallel industries. You have farmers who are people on the ground, people who are getting their hands dirty. With agricultural science, we are speaking of people who are in the laboratories, people who are analysing farmers’ problems then producing results.” 

Makola is now an experienced assistant production manager learning more about farming every day.
Thabang Makola is now an experienced assistant production manager learning more about farming every day. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

His time at Masimo Farms has taught him a whole new skill set, one he uses in tandem with his scientific studies. “At the moment, I am a bit of a scientist and a [bit of a] farmer. I am loving farming, and it is something that I am growing into and getting to understand.”

ALSO READ: This young farmer helped commercialise his dad’s farm

ADVERTISEMENT

Passion for farming 

Makola says that his passion for agriculture is fed by how unpredictable it can be. “Farming is very dynamic in that no two days are the same. You come today, and then things are looking OK. Then you come back tomorrow, and the weather has turned, and it has affected a productive percentage of your crops.  

“So, [with farming] you need to always be on your toes. You have to always adjust and adapt to the conditions at that particular time. It is always picking your brain.” 

He is also inspired by those who came before him. Despite their lack of formal education, his admiration for their drive and deep knowledge pushes him towards acquiring that same status. “When it comes to the actual technicality of things, when it comes to the actual work, they know so much that you don’t. You are just scratching the surface with a degree.” 

Farming is not without challenges 

For Makola, one of the biggest stumbling blocks he encountered when he first started in the sector is language. He says that most interactions within the industry are in Afrikaans, a language he had not learnt since 2004, when he was in grade 7. 

Makola hopes to achieve the same type of career as those people he is learning from.
Thabang Makola hopes to achieve the same career success as his agricultural role models. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

 “When you complete your degree, then you trying to break into this industry, you are expected to be fluent in Afrikaans. And without Afrikaans, you can’t get in. That is the most frustrating part of it. I know a lot of brilliant people who today who are still locked out of the industry because they cannot speak Afrikaans.” 

Luckily for him, speaking Afrikaans was not a prerequisite at Masimo Farms. However, he says that for people wanting to get into agriculture, learning the language is a need.  

“You need to learn it as soon as you can, not only for you to survive, but for you to be able to actually enjoy what you are doing. [For you] to actually be able to love the work that you are doing. You [also] need to be able to understand the people you communicate with because, be it customers, be it sales providers, everyone is so Afrikaans orientated.” 

Another challenge he has experienced is push-back against new ideas. He finds that many older people in the industry take exception to him when he tries to implement fresh techniques.

“When you come in with new ideas, it’s never easy. [Some people] take it as if you are undermining what they’ve been doing all those years. A lot of people take new ideas as a challenge to them or think you are trying to sound smart because you are coming in with an educational background.” 

Makola says that he finds himself having to work very hard to make an impact. He is keen for the challenge, however.

“Coming into an industry where you are very far off from the culture and the traditions, you constantly have to work four times as hard to get half the recognition.”

“It’s been interesting because in a way, it makes me want to push as well. In this sector, you need to be able to adapt and you need a certain level of mental fitness for you to deal with the daily ups and down.”  

Looking forward to the future 

Makola has taken full advantage of the chance opportunity he received. He plans to learn as much as he can, so he can achieve his long-term goals. He wants to establish a company of his own, to run farms of his own.  

Makola has spent the lastfour years of his career working on Masimo Farms in Limpopo.
Thabang Makola has spent the last four years of his career working on Masimo Farms in Limpopo. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

“That vision is what motivates me. I feel like, at the moment, I need to be working close to people who have got years in the industry, who’ve got knowledge.  

“I’m motivated to learn from them so that, at the end of the day, when I decide to go solo, I would have tapped into as many friends as I can, and I can combine a bit of everyone that I have met along the way. I can combine a bit of them into one big machine that works perfectly.” 

ALSO READ: 3 young farmers nominated for Eastern Cape Youth Awards

Tags: Masimo FarmsUniversity of Limpopo
Previous Post

W. Cape launches decision-making tool for ostrich farmers

Next Post

This week’s agriculture events: 12 – 18 July

Nicole Ludolph

Nicole Ludolph

Born and bred in Cape Town, Nicole Ludolph is always telling a story. After a few years doing this and that, she decided that she might as well get paid for her stories. Nicole began her journalism career writing science articles for learner magazine Science Stars and interning at Getaway Magazine.

Related Posts

‘Food is the story of life, love and health’ says social media foodie

by Noluthando Ngcakani
13th Nov 2020
0

At its core food is a powerful vehicle for storytelling, believes social media foodie and designer Chuene Lefala (27). The...

RECIPE: Chicken stir-fry with baked hake

by Noluthando Ngcakani
12th Nov 2020
0

Summer days are here. And that calls for fresher and lighter meals. Home cook Chuene Lefala (27) has just the...

Indigenous plant opens doors for young agripreneurs

by Noluthando Ngcakani
9th Jun 2020
0

A range of spice blends incorporating the ‘miracle tree’, moringa, has opened new doors for two Limpopo students, Kgodiso Lebea and Jimmy Mohale. Their interests in health, wellness and indigenous knowledge ignited their journey as spice developers and they have even gained international acclaim for their endeavour,...

Next Post
agriculture events Wilmare and staff at work on the mushroom farm

This week’s agriculture events: 12 – 18 July

Parts of the Western Cape, such as the Central Karoo, are still experiencing drought. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

by Staff Reporter
1st Jul 2022
0

In case you missed it: Parts of the Western Cape are experiencing ongoing drought conditions. The provincial government stepped in...

Read more
Through his company, Iboyana agri farming, Mhlengi Ngcobo is changing the lives of youth and women in his community. Photo:Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

30th Jun 2022
Research has revealed that less than three in 10 farmers in the upper parts of Africa use technology. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

30th Jun 2022
The Mamahlola Communal Property Association was among the first to be established in 2000, but due to underinvestment, their land soon turned into a symbol of government’s land restoration failure. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

The poverty-fighting tool that’s not fighting poverty

30th Jun 2022
Langeberg & Ashton Foods provides employment for around 250 permanent and 4 300 seasonal staff. Photo: Supplied

ICYMI: Search for fruit factory buyer continues

30th Jun 2022

This week’s agriculture events: 27 June to 01 July 2022

‘Our town will be a dead town’

Podcast: Learn the basics of growing microgreens

ICYMI: Historic kickstart for Engcobo livestock economy

ICYMI: Search for fruit factory buyer continues

Safety summit: Will it be a turning point?

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 11 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

Leave your comfort zone and start hustling, says foodie

Recipe: Make Makile’s crispy chicken wings

Caught in a price spiral: Farmers brace for major losses

Drought-burdened farmers receive R48m. in fodder

Self-taught farmer doing his bit for the greater good

Technology not a priority for Africa’s smallholder farmers

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
WhatsApp line: +27 81 889 9032
Marketing: +27 71 147 0388
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Go to mobile version