When asked what his biggest farming challenge is, Sizo Tshabalala, stud manager at Gubuda Bonsmaras in eManzana, Mpumalanga, laughs, shakes his head and says: “I don’t have difficult days; I love farming. Every challenge is simply an exciting opportunity to solve a puzzle.”
It is this infectious enthusiasm that has seen Tshabalala rise from every setback he has experienced to become the successful
farmer he is today. And it is his approach to problem-solving in particular that landed him a job running the Gubuda Stud for Dr Absalom Nkosi, a part-time farmer from Cape Town.
“Dr Nkosi has been a family friend for many years. He wanted to employ someone he knew, and someone whose passion for farming was evident. You shouldn’t employ a herder who herds cattle by throwing rocks at them or hitting them with a stick.
“A farmer or farm manager must want to farm, and must care about the animals. There are so many challenges in farming; if you don’t love the whole lifestyle, you shouldn’t be a farmer, because the challenges will get you down. You must be fully invested, and I can honestly say that I am,” explains Tshabalala.
STEEP LEARNING CURVES
Tshabalala always knew he wanted to be involved in farming in some way or another. So when he matriculated, he looked at the agricultural degrees available and settled on animal production.
After graduating in 2010, he did an internship at the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, travelling with extension officers to visit farmers and advise them on best practices.
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