Ntobeko Thokozisile Mafu
Agriculture, mining, sustainability, and the environment
Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal
Age:
Project Name/Description:
Founder – Madame Clucks A Lot
Ntobeko Thokozisile Mafu is a passionate young farmer who aims to educate and teach people about sustainable free-range broiler production as well as organic crop production through her business, Madame Clucks A Lot. Mafu’s passion stems from a difficult upbringing marked by gender-based violence and food insecurity. Following her father’s death in 2018, she assumed the role of head of household. This prompted her to write a self-help book, Letters to Whoever Needs to Hear This, originally a personal coping mechanism, that gained recognition by Durban University of Technology (DUT) libraries. At Madame Clucks A Lot, they grow day-old chicks until they are six-week-old broiler chickens, and they also propagate organic seedlings and grow organic crops. Mafu’s greatest achievements include winning a tablet from a DUT writing competition, which changed her life. “Had I not won the tablet and used it to write my self-help book, my life would not be what it is today. Also, having represented the country globally twice - in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2023, and Stuttgart, Germany, in February 2024 - to speak about my business in both instances and having received a euro investment for my business from Bevisioneers is something I am proud of,” she expresses. Mafu says since the transition to democracy in South Africa, the agricultural sector has undergone significant changes, which include land redistribution and reform, commercial farming, and technology adoption. “I believe that opportunities are available if one seeks them out; there are very many resources and people willing to help if the youth put themselves out there. Opportunities that meet preparedness create generational wealth,” she further says.
