YOUNG FARMER HOUNERED BY MEC KONTSIWE AS THE BEST PERFORMING FEMALE ENTREPRENUER IN THE PROVINCE IN 2025
A young farmer and agro-processer from Bizana came tops during the annual Women Entrepreneur Awards (WEA) where the MEC for the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (DoA) Nonceba Kontsiwe awarded top performing women in the sector. Kontsiwe awarded women who are contributing in the economic development and job creation through the agricultural value chain a bid to empower, recognise, encourage participation and honour women in sector. The 30-year-old Nandipha Sodwele owns Nolandumbinda Projects Pty (Ltd) Mill that processes maize into maize meal and sells harmony chop which is by-product to animal feed manufactures and livestock farmers. The enterprise first came tops in the agro-processing category before it was named the overall winner the ceremony held at Abbotsford Christian Centre in East London on Friday (subs: 15 Aug. 25) where she won a combined prize of R100 000. Her milling plant has serviced the local community and the surrounding community of Bizana as far as Flagstaff, Holy Cross and Ingquza Hill areas since 2014. Nolandumbinda production operation has successfully established itself as a vital contributor to local food security and employment through creating of 3 permanent and 16 temporary and seasonal jobs. Her market includes livestock farmers, Hello Choice and One Farm Share Supermarkets in Bizana as well as Majazi Primary School and Mzamba Combined School through the Department of Education Nutrition Programme and other retail shops at Bizana. She produces yellow maize and green beans in 22 ha of land and the company buys from local producers to keep their milling plant running and profitable.
The aim to upgrading production capacity of a mill by increasing from the current 365 kg per hour to 2 tons per hour production of maize meal as well as increasing yellow maize production from 22ha to 50 ha within the next 5 years with the aim of total commercialization, Sodwele said. “I am very excited to be recognised by the department for the hard work I put in this enterprise and this will motivate me to do more. I was now worried about the production inputs for this planting season and I will use some of the money I have won here to buy them as well as growing my agro processing business,” said Sodwele. Despite that Sodwele is a qualified artist, her love for agriculture got the better of her because she grew up in a family that practised both agro-processing and farming hence she followed their footsteps. She said while there were many challenges it was “lucrative business that need patience and resilience,” hence she urged youth especially women to venture into the sector, MEC Kontsiwe said women were being celebrated “not just as participants in a programme, but as leaders, pioneers, and change-makers in a sector that too often overlooks the contributions of women.” “These awards are not simply a celebration of individual achievement; they are a signal to the rest of the country that women in agriculture are ready to lead from the front. “In a time when our economy needs new growth drivers, women farmers have already shown that they can turn small opportunities into thriving enterprises, and local challenges into global market advantages. You are not waiting for change — you are making it happen,” Kontsiwe added. Kontsiwe said the society has a duty to ensure young people understood the importance of the agriculture value chain and that the role of women in the industry huge, adding that the government was committed to creating conditions for the agriculture sector to thrive and prosper Other winners included:
Idealveg Trading (Pty) Ltd led by Zanele Matikinca of Mthatha who is supplying a wide range of fresh and chopped vegetables to local restaurants, hospitals and events. Matikinca won in the best commercial entrepreneur category, walking away with R50 000.
PUFESO Agri Enterprise in Engcobo that is supplying fresh vegetables to stores like Boxer Engcobo, Super Spar Engcobo, New Rest Engcobo, all PACINA Spar Group in Mthatha and the surrounding community. They are selling eggs to restaurants including Elonwabo Pub and Grill, 50/50 Lounge as well as schools, government offices, hawkers and locally. PUFESO won in the best small holder category, walking away with R50 000.
Naudeshoek Farm from Ngqushwa that produces citrus fruit that is exported to the EU, UK, Middle East, Canada, China and Russia and sell to local fresh produce markets in Johanessburg, Durban, Bloemfontein, Tshwane market, PMB market, East London, King Williams Town as well as local hawkers. They won in the best export category, walking away R50 000.
The best performing district was OR Tambo and the total prize money won by farmers was R290 000.
In a significant step towards empowering emerging farmers the province, the MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe today officially handed over a fully equipped abattoir in Sterkstroom, Chris Hani District. This strategic investment, valued at more than R5,6 million, aims to enhance value addition, promote local agro-processing, and enable rural producers to compete effectively in formal commercial markets.
Eastern Cape Celebrates Women’s Day with Empowerment for Female Farmers
Alice, Eastern Cape – The University of Fort Hare Sports Centre in Alice came alive as the province celebrated Women’s Day 2025 under the leadership of Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane. The celebration was held under the national theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, aligning with the global call to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The event highlighted the crucial role of women in agriculture and rural development, with a strong focus on empowerment, sustainability, and economic transformation.
MEC for Department of Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, took centre stage in empowering women farmers by handing over two tractors to the Queens Traditional Leadership in the Amathole District. This initiative supports communal farming, benefits multiple households, increases production capacity, and strengthens rural food systems.
The celebration also featured symbolic handovers as part of the Department of Agriculture’s ongoing empowerment programmes. These included: • 13 Nguni Cows to Women Farmers – aimed at improving livestock breeds, herd quality, and promoting commercial livestock production. • Two Sewing Machines – to support agricultural cooperatives engaged in value addition, agro-processing, and garment production, thereby creating income diversification opportunities for rural women.
The Women Entrepreneur Awards segment honoured outstanding women-led agricultural enterprises, recognising their resilience, innovation, and role in transforming rural economies.
The event was further enriched by an exhibition area, where various government departments, stakeholders, and NGOs showcased their services, products, and support programmes available to women in agriculture and rural communities. These exhibitions provided valuable networking opportunities and information sharing for attendees.
Impact of the Initiatives: • Economic Empowerment: Creation of sustainable production, increased incomes, and new market opportunities. • Sustainability: Growth of rural agricultural economies through year-round support programmes. • Social Transformation: Strengthening women’s roles as leaders, innovators, and equal partners in agricultural development.
Premier Mabuyane emphasised that the province’s support for women is not limited to Women’s Day but is a continuous effort throughout the year to equip them with tools, resources, and opportunities to thrive.
With these initiatives, the Eastern Cape is building an inclusive agricultural sector where women are central to growth, innovation, and food security.
ROLE PLAYED BY WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRO PROCESSING RECOGNISED
Zanele Matikinca, an ardent business woman from Mthatha, proved passion and dedication is rewarding when she became the overall winner of the awards after she initially clinched the first prize in the best commercial farming category. Matikinca said when she was “written off” from working hard after an operation due to spinal cord challenges in 2010, she ventured into agriculture value addition in 2012. She started by buying vegetables from local farmers, chopping and packaging them for the markets. Her business venture has not only yielded great returns from herself but other people as she has 20 people under her employ. Matikinca sells her vegetables to Spar Supermarkets in Mthatha as well as restaurants and local catering companies. “In 2010, I had problem with my spinal cord and I had to do an operation, as a result of that I was written off from working hard. I used to do catering services where I identified the market of cutting vegetables hence my business to chop and supply vegetables is booming,” Matikinca said. She praised the government for its support after she received a truck and bakkie to deliver the vegetables as well as a processing machine and a big refrigerator. “I used to deliver my products with a vehicle that did not meet food safety standards and as such, I was always chased away by food retail stores. I also had a small fridge that could not meet the demands of my clients,” she added. Now thanks to government intervention, Matikinca is able to meet the standards required by food retailers and is running a thriving business. Matikinca who won R30 000 in total. Another winner, Philasande Mahlakatha who is processing indigenous plants to produce essential oil with which she does cosmetic products said she started the “not very popular amongsts African people” business in 2019. “I started small without any assistance but this is what I wanted to do despite the fact that I did not understand it. I did research and my passion for it grew”, said Mahlakatha.
She added that lack of capital and interest did not deter her from pursuing her business. Mahlakatha who won the first prize in the agro-processing category was assisted by the national Department of Agriculture with a processing machine, packaging equipment and “full package” to brand her products. She said she was elated to have won as she was not expecting to win. She walked away with R15 000. Another winner from the district who will join Mahlakatha and Matikinca when they compete with other districts in the provincial event scheduled to take place in August was Gugulethu Qukula who won the first prize in the smallholder farming category with a R15 000 prize.
FORMER MINEWORKER’S AGRI-ENTERPRISE CROWNED TOP SMALLHOLDER AT WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
Issued by DoA Communications
THE Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture today celebrated the outstanding achievements of female entrepreneurs in the agricultural and agro-processing sectors in the Chris Hani District. Among the winners, PUFESO Agri-enterprise, co-founded by Phumza Sambatha from Xhibeni location in Ngcobo, emerged as the Top Entrepreneur Smallholder Farming.
Sambatha’s inspiring journey into agriculture began after a significant career shift. “I am a former mine worker and after losing my work, I decided to partner with another woman to establish an agriculture business venture where we started with poultry production and later in 2023, we expanded to vegetable production,” shared Sambatha.
Her venture into PUFESO Agri-enterprise was driven by a commitment to ensure food security for their families, with excess produce sold for income generation. Sambatha strongly advocates for women’s participation in the sector. “Women should start farming; there is money in farming – it is a rewarding business. It very essential because we can feed our families and create job opportunities,” she emphasized.
PUFESO Agri-enterprise has successfully cultivated a vast market, reaching from local sales in Ngcobo to major retail shops including Boxer and Spar, as well as the renowned 50/50 restaurant. Their market extends to Mthatha, where they supply most of the Spar retailers. The enterprise currently employs 10 permanent workers and frequently hires casual workers, including two disabled people, demonstrating a commitment to “inclusive employment” said Sambatha.
She attributed their success and newfound knowledge to crucial support from the Department of Agriculture. She highlighted “the frequent visits by the department officials to show them how things should be done as well as the placement of unemployed graduates with vast knowledge by the department has made us winners and knowledgeable.”
Furthermore, the department’s assistance with 500 chicks in May was pivotal, enabling them to sustain and grow their operations. Expressing her joy at the recognition, Sambatha remarked, “As a winner, I was overjoyed and even more joyful when we were announced as the overall winner because I did not expect that. I never expected that the work I am doing is so enormous that it can get such recognition. I am very happy”.
She said the winnings would be used to pay employees and to buy production inputs. PUFESO Agri-Enterprise proudly walked away with a combined prize of R30,000. The awards also recognized other outstanding female agri-entrepreneurs in the district: Mandlovu Ginger, founded by 34-year-old Phuthikazi Swaphi from Komani, won R15,000 for being the Top Entrepreneur in Agro-Processing. Swaphi, who started her enterprise in September 2022 after struggling to find employment in 2021, registered Titchi Holdings and later established Mandlovu Ginger Brand to produce and sell ginger beer. She currently has a strong market with Lukhanji Spar and Mabhovula stores in Komani, regular customers in Lukhanji Local Municipality, small shops in Komani and also caters for corporate and cultural events.The Top Entrepreneur Commercial Farming enterprise, Qwebe-Qwebe, won R15,000. Siyokhana Vegetable Project secured R10,000 as the 1st Runner-Up in the Small Holder Farming category.
WOMEN LED AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE WINS TOP HONOURS IN ALFRED NZO Pula Nala, a 100% African women-owned and youth-majority-owned agricultural enterprise, has been recognized with a prestigious award at the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (DoA) Women Entrepreneur Awards in the Alfred Nzo District. The Awards, were incepted in 1999 as a vehicle to encourage and increase equal participation of women in the agricultural sector, celebrate women’s contribution to agriculture, job creation, economic growth and poverty alleviation. In her policy speech earlier this year, DoA MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe highlighted the contribution of the department to women led enterprises including mechanisation, one of the key drivers of agricultural productivity.
