Turning a hobby into a potentially successful business can be easier than expected. Take Marvellous Makhado for example. When he started planting vegetables, he had no idea farming would become a source of income for his family.
“I was just messing around, to be honest,” Makhado laughs.
Things quickly took a turn when a few of his grandmother’s friends visited their house and wanted to buy spinach from him. The spinach was not up for sale but the gogo’s request sparked a business idea.
Makhodo wasted no time. He quickly prepared a strip of land and started sowing more seeds in their backyard.
Today, Makhodo is a revered small-scale farmer in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, growing various vegetables. But what makes this farmer even more interesting is his 10 X 5-meter pond, home to more than 10 000 tilapia fish.
‘I am at peace’
Makhodo’s farming journey started in 2018, in their backyard at home. With limited space at his disposal he cultivates spinach, tomatoes, and his preferred crop, cabbages.
“Farming is everything. It keeps me away from trouble and teaches me perseverance. The redemption found in faith by it working out will teach you a lot of things.”
Every night, before Makhodo goes to bed after a long day in the field, running errands, and tending to his tilapia, Makhodo takes a moment to reflect.
“I go to bed with a good heart. I can sleep with a peaceful heart because I would be thinking about my [farming].”
“Seeing my fish from fingerlings to harvest – that period in between – gives me joy. I am always proud of what I am doing. It gives me a reason to wake up. I love farming,” he says.
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