Job loss births passionate farmer

After losing her job as a sales representative at a furniture store, Collien Khawula from the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal was forced to re-discover her passion for farming. 

Despite many challenges since then, it is a decision she has yet to regret. 

Khawula is the director of Tumies Enterprise, a mixed farm in Malangeni, in Umdoni Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. 

The business farms in poultry, vegetables, as well as a thriving nursery. It produces onion, carrot, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, green pepper and beetroot. 

“I started in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. I lost my job and decided to start something that didn’t require a lot of capital, as long as you have a bit of land and seeds. I wanted to be independent and not depend on others to survive,” she said. 

The journey, however, has not been without its challenges. These ranged from self-doubt to a lack of financial resources. 

Tumies Enterprise also had to contend with water shortages in the area. 

“We need a lot of water to farm but we are struggling. It doesn’t help that we don’t have water tankers or pumps,” she said. 

Despite these challenges, she is grateful for the ongoing technical assistance and training she often receives from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

The Department often assists the business with ploughing implements, fencing, seeds and fertilisers. 

In early 2024, she received R50 000 during an entrepreneur development programme pitching competition by Raiz Corp and Illovo Sugar, Africa's largest sugar producer. 

“The money has come in handy, especially for office equipment. If you want to be professional, your paperwork needs to be in order.” 

Khawula added that she has plans to apply for government support to grow her business. The business, which employs four people, supplies its produce to local restaurants and markets in the area. 

She explained that she has prospects to grow her business but is unable to due to lack of space. While she has two four-hectare farms in two of her rural homes, she is unable to utilise them because it is too far from the central business district and she does not have her own transport. Instead, she farms on various smaller plots to produce her vegetables. 

“My wish is to move to a bigger farm in one space. I don’t have land of my own close to the CBD so, I rely on the generosity of people to offers me parcels of land for farming,” she said. ¥