How University Student Nkosinathi Makamela Used His NSFAS Allowance To Start A Farming Business
How University Student Nkosinathi Makamela Used His NSFAS Allowance To Start A Farming Business. Nkosinathi Makamela is a third year Animal Production student that used his NSFAS allownace to start a farming business. Makamela was inspired by his late mother as she was a small scale farmer.
“Both my parents were small-scale farmers. My mother farmed with poultry and pigs while my father farmed with goats, sheep and cattle. That is how they managed to provide for the family. My father could not cope with the loss of my mother. As a result, he struggled to run the farm on his own and we started losing livestock.” said Makamela on University of Fort Hare’s website.
Makamela was determined to make this work because they lost the family’s only source of income which was the small scale farm. He used his NSFAS allowance to start to revive the farm so that it can start generating income again. Makamela balances between running a farm and being a student. This is something that requires a lot of discipline as a lot of challenges can arise and discipline is needed to keep one focused on the things that matter.
“I used my NSFAS non-residence allowance for the month of April to buy vegetable seedlings. I started by planting green peppers, carrots, spinach and beetroot – which I sold to the community and in town.” Makamela added. By choosing to invest in the family business, Makamela is making sure that his family is taken care of as they are generating income from the farm. He is also building for the long term as he expanded to pig farming.
Starting out a business can be a daunting thing to do but when one is determined to make sure that the business thrives regardless of any negative circumstances they may face, the business has a better chance of being a success. Makamela used the negative situation he found himself in and made a decision to turn it around for the better through entrepreneurship.
