An unemployed family of five from Nobumba hamlet, near Peddie in the Eastern Cape, has taken it upon themselves to help their community combat rising unemployment.
They’ve pooled their R350 in social assistance subsidies to start a poultry business.
Their only way out of poverty was to become entrepreneurs. Their business is thriving, with roughly 200 birds sold each month.
They now want to expand their company and provide opportunity for other young people in the community. Phumlisa Ngabase, a co-op member, believes that any kind of help is appreciated. “Our goal is to expand this effort, so we encourage anybody who watches this video to pitch in and help us reduce crime.”
The provincial government is committed to supporting youth-centred agricultural initiatives.
The spokesperson for the Department of Agrarian Reform, Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha, says they have invested in this initiative since last year.
“We started supporting them in the 2020/2021 financial year and also in the current financial year where the MEC went to the business supported them with machines, broiler chickens, broiler feed and water tank.
Now the MEC said she wanted to see young people taking up opportunities in the agriculture sector and she’s doing this that the programs and policies of government to help young people.”
The chicken farmers already have their eye on the commercial market with a plan to produce birds on a large scale.
