By developing and establishing partnerships, Luleka Mbete’s business, LM Holdings, has initiated a system that brings sorghum producers in the Eastern Cape together to link them to funding, technical expertise, markets and training.
Luleka Mbete established LM Holdings in 2009 to help rural businesses gain access to entrepreneurship opportunities by linking them to resources.
She says it was her own struggle to obtain production financing in time for planting that inspired her to create alternative solutions for herself and other farmers facing similar challenges.
Her journey in farming started with her plan to establish a co-operative for sorghum farming on communal land in Willowvale, in the Amathole District Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
Through LM Holdings, she received a grant from the Development Bank of Southern Africa for fencing and an irrigation system. She also obtained funding support from the Mbhashe Municipality to build a dam, and her initial business plan was supported by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC).
Unfortunately, the funds were often delayed and, ultimately, insufficient to get the project off the ground. In 2011, she abandoned the idea and left to pursue a career in the corporate world.
But her entrepreneurial spirit refused to settle into the comfortable and predictable life of being a salaried employee.
“In 2015, I left to start my own property business, and did some work in the petroleum industry. Eventually, in 2016, I found my way back to farming,” she recalls.
A NEW START
In June 2016, LM Holdings approached United National Breweries, a leading manufacturer of traditional African sorghum beer (umqombothi), with a proposal to become a BEE partner and also a beneficiary of the business’s corporate social investment programme. They reached an agreement in September 2016.
At the time, the brewery was owned by Diageo, a global alcoholic beverages company with a large collection of brands across spirits and beer categories, including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Guinness.
Denne historien er fra May 24, 2019-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra May 24, 2019-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
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Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
