Success for BEE market agent
Competition in a fresh produce market is tough, and most BEE market agents fail to survive their first year. Gugu Hadebe and Danny Geral are the exception. Quitting their jobs to start Egoly Market Agents, their partnership has sailed through a year of operation. Peter Mashala spoke to them.
TechnoServe SA: supporting new farming entrepreneurs
Millions of rands are pumped into farmer development projects in the government and private sectors, yet hundreds of these projects fail within their first year. Mandla Nkomo, programme manager for agribusiness and food security for TechnoServe SA, explains to Peter Mashala what makes his company’s projects successful.
Belnori goat milk cheese: creamy perfection
Now in their retirement, Norman and Rina Belcher are producing award-winning cheeses at their Belnori Boutique Cheesery. The Belchers attribute their success to teamwork and paying attention to detail.
Nu Dawn Eggs: production tips and secrets
Seo Mtetwa, MD of Nu Dawn Eggs, talks about the company's beginning, success and future.
Compost company embraces social media
A composting company has embraced social media to differentiate its brand in a competitive market. Robyn Joubert reports.
Smallholder mechanisation: shuddering to a halt, again
The government’s mechanisation programme is doomed to failure unless it is project-managed properly and regard is given to the many difficulties of operating machinery in a small-scale environment, says Peter Hittersay, a consultant in agricultural mechanisation.
Unique school teaches horse racing skills
Horse racing is widely enjoyed in South Africa and abroad. Before a Thoroughbred is ready for the track, an enormous amount of effort, expertise and specialist skill has gone into the breeding and rearing of the animal. At Summerhill Stud, a unique school is
teaching these skills. Lloyd Phillips reports.
Goat milk products
Anne Turner and Wessel Etzebeth’s small goat milk enterprise, De Böcke Goat Dairy, is less than a year old, but they are already finding a welcome place for their products in this niche market. Denene Erasmus reports.
Nkunzi Milkyway steady growth
Nkunzi Milkyway is an Ayrshire milk processor in Pretoria. Its policy of fair payment to producers has contributed to its steady growth of 38% during the past five years, according to
Robyn Joubert.
From a driver to successful small-scale pig farmer
Marius Herman from Kraaifontein started farming with pigs six years ago and in a short time has managed to establish a viable small business. Denene Erasmus visited him.
Oxford Freshmarket graduates from the Bluff
With one supermarket successfully established on the Bluff, Oxford Freshmarket is looking to ramp up turnover with four new store openings in the next two years. Even though Oxford buys off fresh produce markets throughout SA, it prefers to buy directly from farmers. Robyn Joubert reports.
The art of world-class popcorn
Producing popcorn is a highly specialised industry that differs from conventional maize production, says Johann Kriek, CEO of the Bigfoot Trading Company. Annelie Coleman reports.