Thapelo Kgopodithate is the manager at Boomplaas Farm in Van Zylsrus village near Kuruman in the Northern Cape. The farm is owned by his father, Oratile, and the family-run sheep, cattle and goats. His father farmed on communal land for 31 years before receiving his current farm from the government in 2012.
Kgopodithate completed a degree in human resources management at Damelin College in Pretoria in 2009. Unable to find employment close to home, he moved to Cape Town, where he ended up as a general worker at a large steel producer.
In the meantime, however, his father was struggling to manage the farm on his own, so he asked Kgopodithate to return home to assist him as a farm manager. Kgopodithate became fully involved in the business, and says that the more he learnt about
DROUGHT AS INSPIRATION
The Northern Cape is currently in the grip of a prolonged, highly destructive drought. Although farmers in this part of the country are no strangers to long droughts, coupled with temperatures that often rise to 40ËšC, the current drought is one of the worst on record.
In 2016 already, the Kgopodithates were facing ruin due to the financial strain brought on by the drought, and many other farmers in the province faced the same fate. It was his family’s struggle to keep their farm going that led Kgopodithate to start an unusual stokvel.
Named the Makawana (Tswana for ‘young people’) Farmers’ Stokvel, the initiative brought together farmers struggling with similar challenges. Its members are all younger than 35, and at the time of writing, there were 23 members, all from villages in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District in Kuruman.
Denne historien er fra August 07, 2020-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra August 07, 2020-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.
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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
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
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.
