Young Farmer Turned A Failed Land Reform Project Into A Profitable Dairy Farm. More and more young black people are entering the farming business. Even though this is the case there are still many young black people who are restricted when they want to enter this industry. Farming is a business that requires a lot of capital funding in order for it to be sustainable for the long term as farmers need to buy land, the animals, crops and also the equipment that will be used to make sure that the farm is running smoothly. Most young people are unable to secure such resources but there are also those that fight against all odds and pursue their farming dreams till they materialise, one of the young people that managed to do this is Tshilidzi “Chilli” Matshidzula.
He matriculated in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, in 2004, attended the Tshwane University of Technology in 2005 and completed a National Diploma in Animal Science and Production. Matshidzula took over a loss making beef cattle farm at the age of 19 and turned it into a successful, award winning and profitable dairy enterprise. To do this he had to use his excellent farm management skills, attention to detail, perseverance and his dogged drive to carry him through the difficult task of turning a company around.
Matshidzula was recruited by well known dairy farmer Walter Biggs of Oakleaf Business Trust in Alexandria to work as a trainee manager at the struggling farm, Little Barnet. The farm was awarded to 17 black beneficiaries operating as the Longvale Trust through the state’s Land Redistribution of Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme in 1998. Mismanagement of the farm saw the Longvale Trust ruin the business’ chance of being a success as the number of cattle they had went from 300 to 120 despite them receiving a state grant and a loan from the Land Bank.
Matshidzula now owns 40% of the farm and has managed to turn the farm into a lucrative business venture as it milks 900 cows and produces more than 5 million litres of milk a year. This achievement has earned Matshidzula several awards such as the 2020 MPO Nedbank Stewardship Award and the Eastern Cape Young Farmer of the Year Award.
