Smallscale Farming
Ncumisa Mkabile unpacks her remarkable pivot from selling chicken to becoming one of the fastest-growing suppliers of spinach in the Cape.
- 12 minutes
- 10 learning bites
- Ncumisa Mkabile
Insights
- Start with what you have and do not wait for funding.
- Use online research and social media to find customers.
- Diversify your products to stay resilient and grow.
Learning bites
- 1 What Made You Want To Start A Farming Business?
- 2 How Did You Learn Farming?
- 3 What Made You Diversify To Spinach?
- 4 As A Small-Scale Farmer What Has The Journey Been Like?
- 5 What Advice Do You Have For Other Young Entrepreneurs Who Want To Start A Business?
- 6 How Did You Manage To Scale So Quickly?
- 7 What Was The Best Part Of Growing Your Business?
- 8 How Have You Used Social Media To Market Your Business?
- 9 How Did You Persevere Through The Intense Challenges That You’ve Faced?
- 10 What Opportunities Are There In Farming?
Ncumisa Mkabile Founder, Agripreneur · Mamcube Fresh Produce Ncumisa Mkabile is a self-taught South African agricultural entrepreneur and community activist based in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Originally born in Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, she graduated with a qualification in Travel and Tourism from Boston City Campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of her local catering and takeaway business, she pivoted to generate a new income to support her family. Starting with door-to-door sales of poultry, she recognized high market demand and launched Mamcube Homegrown Chicken. She quickly expanded her operations into crop farming, founding Dawana Fresh Produce. Despite having no formal agricultural background or mentor, she taught herself farming techniques using the internet and online videos. Starting with 20,000 seedlings of spinach on unused land, her viral social media updates under the motto "I planted, I prayed, and now it's time to harvest" brought widespread attention. Her farming venture quickly grew to supply local street vendors, community members, and major local retail outlets such as SuperSpar. Through her farm, she creates local employment opportunities while aiming to inspire young women and youth to break into male-dominated industries, achieve financial independence, and contribute to national food security.
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