Two young farmers join hands to fight poverty

With the youth unemployment rate in South Africa still at a staggering 66.5%, more and more young people are driven every day to find new ways to make a living for themselves. Two young farmers from Mpheni in the Elim area, Tshimangadzo Rasweswe and Jacob Rakhokha, joined hands to battle poverty by venturing into the poultry-farming business.

Rakhokha (23) matriculated in 2018 and Rasweswe (23) in 2019, both from Muthuhadini Combined School. Rakhokha had been unemployed for some time before they decided to take put their heads together.

“As young men from a disadvantaged rural area, chances were slim that one of us would get a job. So, we thought about what we can do to help our families to survive, and the idea of going into poultry farming started,” Rasweswe said.

First, they started planting tomatoes in their backyards and even went to Tembisa in Johannesburg to sell energy drinks, to fund their project. The poultry farming came next. In January 2021, they established a company, called Doers Movement General Dealer, where they sell their tomatoes, sneakers, MoFaya energy drinks, turkeys and chickens.

“We opted for poultry farming as a way forward, because there is a lot of money to be made and, if done properly, it can be a way to get out of poverty,” Rasweswe said. This, Rakhokha said, did not come easily for them. “We faced several challenges, such as the loss of young chickens due to the changing climate and customers who do not pay on time, or do not pay at all.”

The young men aim to be able to help in battling the high unemployment rate by creating jobs for others too, one day. “We want to be able to employ more than 20 workers at our business on a permanent basis. We would also love to expand our business to other villages and see it grow into one of the major poultry suppliers in Limpopo,” Rakhokha said.

He offered a profound message to job seekers, and especially the youth. “Starting your own business with the little you have is the way to go in this modern day and age.”

News in brief - Date: 08 May 2022

Thembi Siaga

Thembi Siaga started as an intern during 2021. He assisted with video photography and editing. He also produced numerous small documentaries, focusing on the Vhembe region and its people. Currently he works as a freelance journalist, covering stories in the Elim area.

Thembi studied at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he completed his diploma in Journalism in 2021.

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