Our latest Star
of Buhle, Bongani Sibeko, feels like “the king of the jungle”.
“Farmers
control everything in the world,” he says. “No-one starts the day, or ends the
day, without eating something. All that we have, comes from farming.”
Bongani farms
cattle, sheep, chicken and soya on the farm Watervalsoek, in the Gert Sibande
District of Mpumalanga’s Govan Mbeki Municipality.
He studied Crop
Production at Buhle in 2011 and subsequently was chosen to be part of project
in which Buhle, Sasol and the Land Bank together provide the package of mentorship,
financial support and land that new farmers need to grow their farming
businesses.
He now has 100ha
of soya as well as 120 cattle, 120 sheep, 94 lambs and 75 chicken layers.
His land is
leased, in a 30-year agreement, through the Department of Rural Development and
Land Reform.
Proud to be a
farmer, he believes that agriculture provides humans with a connection with
nature, bringing us back to who we really are. “Look at what farmers do when
there is an attack or a disaster,” he says. “They stand up together. When
there’s a fire, look how many cars and people are there, helping one another.
That is true human nature.
“You see it on
farms, but you don’t always see it in urban areas.”
“On the day you
graduate, it’s as if you’re starting a marriage,” he says. “You need to be on
your farm 24/7. I’m forever at the farm.”
In November
2019 Bongani received the Star of Buhle award, which recognises graduates who
have achieved exceptional achievement in agriculture. He is a married father of
three children, all of whom are still at school, and his farming business enables
him to support his family, although it is not always easy.
“I try by all
means to put 80% of the profits back to the business,” he says. “Let me be
honest: farming is a long-term thing. It’s not something you can just do in 10
years, and then you’re done. There are lots of dynamics at play.”
That’s why Bongani
is “forever pushing” to grow his business and to cultivate his natural
innovative spirit. “There is nothing that will just come to you. With the
government, with any business, if you sit back and wait for someone to help
you, you’ll wait forever.”
He briefly ran
a cattle business with his brothers, and currently serves as district chairperson
and deputy provincial chairperson of the National Emergent Red
Meat Producers’ Organisation (Nerpo). He is using that platform to
encourage other farmers to join the red meat value chain. He also taps into
resources like the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, the
Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, which provides training through the support of extension officers.
Like all South
African farmers, Bongani knows how tough agriculture can be. “We’ve had
drought, veld fires… many challenges,” he says. “Just recently week a portion
of the farm burnt, and then it happened again to another portion. That affected
70% of the grazing part of my farm. Thankfully it was not the arable part, and
I had enough fodder to see me through.”
When his
boreholes ran dry, he used rainwater from a neighbouring dam, fetching and carrying
it to his own land. “I have drilled another borehole, but it’s not yet ready
due to finances, so I’m trying to make another plan,” he says. “I’m waiting for
a few payments and will equip it as soon as I get the cash.”
The hard work
is paying off. Bongani planted about 40 ha of soya in 2016/17, then 80 ha in
2017/18, and had planted 100 ha in 2018/19 before the fire. “My farm is
growing,” he says. “I’ve made big progress.”
Even when he
speaks about his challenges, Bongani’s enthusiasm and positive attitude shines
through. “If you don’t love farming, you won’t make it in this industry,” he
smiles. “It’s not easy out there. But I love it, because no-one pushes you
except yourself.”
