Qawekazi Fadana. Image: Supplied.
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Qawekazi Fadana, is breaking barriers in the farming sector.
Fadana, 37, told Business Report that she aims for her diversified free-range poultry and stock farming operation, Mhlelisa Farm in Haga Haga 70km north of East London, to build on existing commercial success and catalyse growth and innovation in the rural Wild Coast.
She was one of the 28 entrepreneurs and small business owners who enrolled in the first intake of the Stellenbosch Business School’s Small Business Academy (SBA) in East London, and, after just a few weeks on the programme, believed it was the key to unlocking her business vision.
Fadana said, “When my farmworkers can buy their own cars and I can sit around the table in my shorts, just like the male farmers in their shorts, I will know I have arrived as a serious player in the commercial farming community.”
“Positive change started for me in the first week at the SBA, when we had lectures on organisational culture. I had some people issues in my business and those sessions gave me the practical advice and confidence to restructure my entire business, and it is already paying off,” she said.
Fadana followed in the footsteps of her mother, Philiswa Fadana, who is an award-winning small-scale farmer, they worked the farm together for several years before she took over the reins, and she has entered the SBA programme as an established business looking for strategies for growth and working smarter.
The farm runs a full value-chain operation in free-range poultry, with about 3 000 chickens at any one time, supplying other farmers with day-old chicks, and supermarkets with eggs and fresh meat.
The 230ha farm breeds Brahmin and Bonsmara cattle, both for slaughter at the on-site abattoir and sale of weaners to breeders, as well as a thriving merino sheep, a herd of about 300 for wool and meat.
There is also a vegetable farming component and growing lucerne for animal feed.
“We have survived the setbacks of Covid-19, load shedding and avian flu, to the extent that our sheep operation can’t keep up with demand, and we are applying for more land to avoid over-grazing as we currently have too many animals per hectare.
“I want to grow not only the size of the land, but also the business and its wider impact to stimulate the local economy and community. The SBA programme is opening my eyes to smarter ways of doing things, to see what is missing, why business is not moving, how to rectify that, and also how to pursue my bigger picture,” Fadana said.
Fadana grew up around farming in Engcobo in the rural Eastern Cape, but also lived and worked for a time in Cape Town and was introduced to urban markets like the Old Biscuit Mill, inspiring her drive to bring a similar concept to the East London area, of a market for fresh produce, meats, and locally produced goods that add value to agricultural output.
“I know I was not born to be an employee. I want to contribute and create, to be a leader and not a follower. I want to stimulate my community and the local economy into action,” she said.
The programme has reached 463 small businesses to date, of which 80,8% are still in business and growing, with 91.8% full-time jobs created and 88,9% part-time new jobs created.
SBA Head Dr Armand Bam said the programme aimed to counter the high failure rate of small businesses in South Africa, by “equipping small business owners with the tools they need to defy the odds and succeed”.
“Small businesses have been the backbone of our economy, both in the past and today. SMEs contribute over 60% of employment and nearly 34% of GDP in South Africa. The ripple effect of their impact on families, communities and socio-economic development is immeasurable, but without solid business knowledge and support, too many of them fail.” Dr Bam said.
After two months on the nine-month programme that blends business theory, practical skills and mentoring, Fadana said she is enthusiastic about prospects and says the programme has already had tangible impact on working smarter, not harder in her business.
“It has been a masterclass on compliance and the documents one needs to have in hand to apply for government grants and the many business-funding opportunities out there. It has also been an education into finances and tax; the right questions to ask your accountant to ensure that you have proper oversight into your own finances, and how to legitimately reduce your tax burden,” she said.
BUSINESS REPORT