In an unequal society such as ours, most rural people have very limited opportunities whilst youth unemployment is estimated to be at 58 percent.
Most rural areas have just one major advantage as compared to their urban, and suburban counterparts which are access to land. This allows for small scale farming opportunities.
Tshepo Koma is a 30-year-old small scale farmer based in Ga-Mashashane Mohlonong village. In February 2019, he was retrenched from a retail store in Polokwane, and like millions of other South African youth - he did not have luck securing another job.
Whilst job hunting, Tshepo nurtured his love for farming, and after extensive research and a fundraising period, he purchased 5 sheep to start his own livestock farming. Today, Tshepo is a full-time farmer with 8 sheep and 4 lambs - looking to grow his farming business in the near future. He also has two domestic pigs which are housed in a homemade pigsty, and fortunately for him, the female pig is expecting its first set of piglets.
“Rural farming works, it just needs patience and passion,” says Koma.
By December 2021, Koma believes his livestock would have grown to over 25 sheep plus about 8 lambs and over 10 pigs.
Being unemployed is a socio-economic factor that in most cases is not in our hands but doing nothing while being unemployed is an insult to our own intelligence and strength. Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors in the world as a nation can never survive without food.
There are challenges in any investment or business and in farming major challenges include crime and South Africa’s inconsistent rainfalls. The opportunities in small stock farming outweigh the threats and as rural-based youth, we have got what it takes to make it through.
South African farmers operate under uncertain environments and over the years they have undergone recession, drought, a drop in market prices, and changing government policies. These threats however can be managed with proper long term planning.
“Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of a man” – George Washinton