Moving from chemical engineering to chicken farming is a drastic change, but for Dimakatso Makgoe-Mabheju, it was precisely what she needed. She is one of the extraordinary women selected for Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022, a year-long blended development programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Entrepreneurship Development Academy (EDA).
Makgoe-Mabheju was looking to start her own business when her husband, Tinashe, suggested chicken farming. With the Covid-19 pandemic making life more uncertain, the pair turned to his former hobby.
“There was not really any huge motivation besides that [my husband] really enjoys chicken farming. We just decided to start it as a business because I was looking to get out of work.”
At first, the pair searched for farming property to rent. They eventually just settled on part of a property they already owned which, luckily for them, removed the burden of rent from their operation. Makgoe-Mabheju says it took about four months to set up the operation.
“The first couple of cycles were very challenging because we were still figuring out how to [keep] the [chickens] alive, [how to] get a proper product that we would be proud of, [how to] get the proper feed, etc. So, there was a lot of trial and error, which was very costly for us.”
July 2021 proved to be particularly rough for Makgoe-Mabheju, as the country was experiencing a shortage of day-old chickens. The cost of the chickens almost doubled, making it difficult for them to sustain their business.
“We found it very difficult to find chickens in that environment, but then we actually got someone who wanted to supply us with day-olds. We should have known [better] because the price was very cheap. We ended up getting some sort of layers and they were all males, so we just ended up losing a lot of money.”
The chickens, she says, ended up always fighting and killing each other off. They also ended up spending way more money on feed, but eventually managed to sell the chickens off.
“Eventually, we were able to sell them off as hard body, so we were able to regain a little bit of the money that we spent buying the chickens. It wasn’t what we had projected or wanted the amount to be, but it’s better to get some money back than to let it go to waste completely.”
Persevering despite the challenges
Starting a business is always risky, and Makgoe-Mabheju was no exception. The risks and setbacks off a new business often scare fledging entrepreneurs off, but for her it was simply part of the journey. She says seeing her business grow despite the challenges is one of the primary factors that keep her motivated.
“We see that all the work that we’re putting into the product puts out a quality product. It’s not just some chicken that we’re feeding the people. We are also motivated by the satisfaction of our customers, who are very vocal about the quality of the chicken.”
She says the honest, positive feedback from her customers drives her intention to improve and expand her business.
“It’s very motivating that people are loving our product and are referring other people to our product. Our whole business is just referrals because people enjoy the product that much.”
Despite the motivation, Makgoe-Mabheju recognises that there are more skills she needs to acquire to run her business successfully. This is why she joined the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme. She says the programme provided all the skills she needs to move the business forward.
“Though we are doing great in terms of a growing customer base, I feel that we are lacking some skills around leading our employees and around financial management. So, I thought that this programme is great for me to get learn those skills.”
She says the programme also gives her the opportunity to learn from other women.
“It’s a great programme for me to network with other women in similar fields. And it’s worked out because I’ve learned so much. Since I’ve joined, I have a different vision for the business.”
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