Top Farmer To Buy DELIVERY BAKKIE WITH PRIZE MONEY
THOBEKA RHOZANI NTOYI is an award winning, profit making female farmer from Mbizana under the Alfred Nzo district municipality of the Eastern Cape.
Rhozani Ntoyi, who took home Alfred Nzo’s top Female Entrepreneur of the year prize, silverware in the small holder category produces dry beans, cabbages, potatoes, pumpkins, butternut and sells them to local retailers, hawkers, restaurants, farms sheep, shears its wool and sells it to the wool market.
“I started vegetable production small with few seedlings. I realized that I needed to expand my vegetable production so that I could sell it and provide for my family,” said Rhozani Ntoyi.
She added that DRDAR’s extension officers visited her land to provide technical advice and support frequently, gave her a rainwater tank for irrigation since she was far from the river.
“DRDAR has given me seedlings, a rain water tank to help irrigate my land. I am proud of the work I do because I create jobs also sell fresh vegetables to fellow villagers, donate to the needy in my community,” said Rhozani Ntoyi.
She encouraged other villagers, especially women to make use of the land that was laying fallow saying agriculture production was the only food source. “We must not let the land lie fallow. Women must use the land to feed our families; we must come together as women and government will support us as women,” said Rhozani Ntoyi.
With plans to increase her hectorage by fencing additional land she is leasing from other villagers through commitment letters, Ntoyi wanted to buy her own delivery transport to cut high delivery costs reducing her profit.
“My main challenge is the high delivery costs because if Spar wants 200 cabbages delivered to Flagstaff, drivers charge R900 for delivery which takes my profit as I don’t have my own transport. I will save the prize money from FEA and buy a delivery bakkie for my business because delivery costs are hitting me hard,” said Rhozani Ntoyi.