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.