5 Young Successful Women In The Farming Business

5 Young successful women in the farming business. Women are of vital importance to growing economies. Rearing poultry and small livestock and growing food crops, they can contribute about 60% to 80% of food production in developing countries.

It is very important to highlight these leaders in Agriculture to help other women break the grass ceiling. It will inspire other women out there to pursue agriculture and shy away from the norm that farming is a male-orientated field. Here are five exceptional women in Agriculture.

Anna Phosa- Dreamland Piggery and Abattoir in Vanderbijlpark.

Anna’s journey started in 2004 when she bought only 4 pigs. She was not always one to run a piggery, having worked in her family’s hardware business. However when the pigs were bought, and a plot of land was found in De Deur in Johannesburg South, Anna put her heart into learning all she could about pig farming. Her piggery supplies to a chain of large supermarkets including a multi-million rand deal with Pick n’ Pay.

Mapaseka Dlamini- Green Sky Rooftop Garden

Mapaseka Dlamini is the owner of Green Sky Rooftop Garden and has one of the largest rooftop urban farms in South Africa. She grows a variety of crops including gourmet lettuce, herbs, peppers, cucumbers and basil plants. All this is done by using various hydroponic systems. A hydroponic system is a type of agriculture that involves the growth of plants in trays or grow beds instead of actual soil.

Thato Moagi– Legae La Banareng Farms

Thato is a farmer from Limpopo. She works as the managing director of her family’s farm and has received various awards such as ‘Female Farmer of the Year and Female Entrepreneur of the Year’ from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In 2016, Thato won ‘The prestigious Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship’, which awarded her funding to travel overseas to learn more on a topic she is most interested in which is: Exploring Integrated Beef Production Models.

Mahlatse Matlakana 

Mahlatse is a young farmer from Limpopo with a deep passion for green peppers. She owns an eight hectare farm which helps feed her community members as she has provided them with employment on the farm.  Mahlatse’s journey as a farmer started at the age of 15 and when she matriculated. She decided to take a gap year and farm green peppers for fun. Her hobby then turned into a business venture.

Lerato Senakhomo- Senakhomo Farming

In 2014, Lerato Senakhomo received 535 hectares from the government’s land reform programme and a loan from a mentor, which enabled her to plant maize. She turned her profits into livestock and has since established a large farm for herself over the years. Lerato has also received awards, including one for being the best female farmer in Gauteng from the Provincial Department of Agriculture. Her farming company, Senakhomo Farming, now supports her parents, her two daughters, her brother and herself, as well as a good number of employees.