Meet the farmer and his business

Mr. Seabi Maleka is an ambitious farmer who was born in Ga-Mphahlele in the Limpopo province and later moved to Hammanskraal, Gauteng. Growing up, there were fruit trees at his home, which he used to spray and cut and this is where his love for farming began. Seabi harvested the fruits that grew from his yard and sold them at his school.

Upon completing his schooling, his hopes of enrolling for farming at higher institutions of learning like TUT or University of Pretoria were crushed due to the high tuition fees. He opted to enrol at a college in Potchestroom because it was a more affordable option to study farming. He attained his Diploma and worked as an inspector at Tshwane Fresh Market. He then moved to Mooiwise in Kwa-Zulu-Natal to work as a junior supervisor.

With a growing interest in farming, Seabi furthered his studies at Central University of Technology where he obtained a BTech and an MTech in Agricultural Management. He specialises in crop farming academically. He received an opportunity to join a graduate programme offered by the Department of Rural Development in North West for 24 months, where he consulted with farmers and built relationships. He then worked as a farm assistant manager in Bronkhorspriut from May 2020 to November 2020, after which he resigned to venture in other areas of farming. His love and passion for farming drove him to join forces with another farmer who already had resources.

They   specialise with poultry on their land of 3 Hectares, which can accommodate 10 000 chickens. Water at the farm is pumped through a generator and he uses his experiences and academic knowledge to make best out of the farm. The duo markets and sells their chickens to various surrounding communities. The limited access to government funding and other resource and water restrictions prevents them from using the land to its full potential.

He is an ambitious man who would like to have a plot of his own and run an enterprise.

Asked to advice young upcoming farmers, he said: “You must have a heart, a big one that can accommodate disappointment, and be willing to work hard in a harsh environment. You should believe in yourself, be patient and love what you do. The rest God will be taken care of”.