Sizo Tshabalala

Youth in Business

Nominee's Province:
Mpumalanga

Age:
32

Project Name/Description:
Tshabalala Farming

More info:
https://www.facebook.com/Teleportin.Nomad/about

Sizo Tshabalala, 32, would like to see food scarcity and unemployment in South Africa become a thing of the past. For this reason, in 2020, he founded Tshabalala Farming, a family-owned farm that produces and sells eggs. Located on communal land at Elukwatini in Mpumalanga, the 10-hectare farm employs four permanent workers and six seasonal workers from the community. “We also mentor other people into farming so we could grow the number of farmers in our local area,” says Tshabalala. Tshabalala, who graduated from Tshwane University of Technology in 2010 with a National Diploma in Animal Production, is a big dreamer with a big heart. “I went into farming after being inspired by farmers I met during my internship. I understood that South Africa was food insecure, had a high unemployment rate and that the farming industry was occupied by old people who were yet to adjust to new ways of farming,” he says. This year, the provincial department of agriculture funded the farm with a fully automated chicken house that can house 15,000 layer chickens. “We will now produce about 14,500 eggs a day. We are also building our own hatchery to produce our own chickens, which will minimise the costs of producing eggs, meaning that our eggs will be cheaper for our customers.” On the farm, Tshabalala seamlessly moves between various operational roles. No task is beneath him. “I’m the guy who wears a suit today and overalls tomorrow,” Tshabalala says. For him, there’s no greater validation of his hard work than knowing that his eggs help feed his community. “I find joy from knowing that my work matters, that families in my area eat what I produce. I also find joy from my community buying our products and making our business grow.” In addition to farming, Tshabalala dabbles in animal photography.