Rising star Kagiso sets sights on expanding sunflower farm

Kagiso Munaka, a 21-year-old agricultural entrepreneur, began farming at just 11 years old. Now managing over 200 hectares of land in Bela Bela, Limpopo, he is a true embodiment of drive and determination.

Munaka’s journey began in a very small valley, planting maize in his backyard alongside his grandmother.

“Each and every time it’s planting season, she would tell me to put manure, cow manure. She’d tell me to put seeds, and then I’d plant half of the area. She’d plant the other half as well,” he recalls.

Today, on his 21-hectare farm, he cultivates maize and buffel grass and manages a poultry operation with a capacity of over 1 200 broilers and layers per cycle.

A growing footprint in agriculture

Beyond his own farming business, Manuka oversees farming operations for other farmers. “We plant a dryland cultivar for sunflowers, supply agricultural seeds, and work with the [local] korporasie,” he explains.

This success did not come easily. Like many young farmers, Manuka faced scepticism due to his age. “People try to exploit you, thinking you don’t know the market. But I know my prices and how to negotiate,” he says.

Manuka’s ventures extend beyond farming and in the Farmer’s Inside Track podcast episode, he shares why he also branched into the clothing and construction industries.

In this episode, Manuka also discusses:

The guiding principles that drive his success
Powerful advice for aspiring farmers.

Want to know more? Dive deeper into the episode and gain insights from the award-winning Farmer’s Inside Track, officially recognised as Africa and the world’s best podcast at the 2024 Digital Media Awards presented by WAN-IFRA, the global press organisation.

Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).

Option 2: Click here to listen on any Apple device.

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