Despite the high unemployment rate that South Africa is facing, young people from deep and remote rural villages can play a role in growing the economy by becoming their own bosses. This is the inspirational message of hope from young Muofhe Matsheketsheke (27) of Hagumbu village in the Niani area, outside Musina.

Matsheketsheke, who is currently studying accounting at UNISA, is making a name for herself in the South African male-dominated farming fraternity. She grew up helping her parents, who used to farm vegetables for home consumption. “I used to work in the fields almost every day after school, and I enjoyed it, not knowing that it was the start of my inspiration to become a successful farmer one day. I now own a five-hectare piece of land where I produce okra, tomatoes, cabbage, butternut, chillies, green beans, and various other vegetables.”

What is inspiring about Matsheketsheke is that she did not wait for funding to realise her farming dreams. “Though farming is an expensive business, I have never received any funding. I started small and sold my products to the locals, saving money for use in my farming activities. Today, I sell my products to the Johannesburg Market and various customers across Limpopo, Durban, and Cape Town. I also have individual customers who come to buy my products and resell them to the public and chain stores,” she said.

Through her initiative, Muofhe Farming and Projects, Matsheketsheke has created three permanent jobs for local community members who were formerly unemployed. She also employs between 20 and 50 seasonal workers on various occasions.

She warned, though, that it is very difficult to run a small farm through self-funding. “I need trucks to transport my products to the markets, and I need water reservoirs. There is no need to complain because complaining will not change things. Hard work and determination motivate me to work diligently every day. I urge other young people to stand up and create their own jobs by starting anything small, which will grow with time,” she said.

Matsheketsheke’s business partner, Zwanga Dombo, said that he enjoyed working with such a young, courageous woman who did not believe in failure. “She started everything from scratch, and over time, things are getting better day by day. She is a real inspiration to all African children that they can realise their dreams by believing in themselves,” he said.