When Livhuwani Tshifhango resigned from her job as branch administrator at a bank to venture into the business world, little did she know that her star would rise and see her winning a prestigious national award.

Tshifhango, founder of Khariye Poultry Farming, was named overall winner of the Eskom Business Investment Competition during the award ceremony held at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg a fortnight ago.

The award came with prize money amounting to R200 000. “I feel happy about the award, and I know that it had come through hard work,” said the 34-year-old Tshifhango, who had to use her pension money to start Khariye Poultry Farming. “There were people who said I was stupid to quit my work at the bank and enter the business world. They said my business ideas also looked unpromising.”

According to the Eskom Development Foundation's brochure on businesses that participated in this year's competition, Khariye Poultry Farming is a small cooperative which raises, slaughters and packages chickens to sell to retailers, hawkers and local community members.

This primary cooperative has employed five permanent staff members and 22 temporary employees. “We believe that the power to eradicate poverty in our country is in our own hands, and we have got to start where we find ourselves,” said Tshifhango.

Khariye Poulrty Farming, which is situated at Ramavhoya village in Nzhelele, plans to direct the prize money towards expanding their business, so that their product distribution scope can cover the national market.

With their strategisied business plan and the full force to work hard, Khariye Poultry Farming had previously received financial support from major funding companies, such as De Beers (R110 000) and LIBSA, which enabled them to put their business on an even keel. “We also won a number of awards at the district level,” said Tshifhango.