Youth Minds Poultry Farm, based in Silindile Location in Lothair, Msukaligwa, Mpumalanga, produces and sells live chickens, slaughtered chickens, and eggs.
Sizwe Khaba started the farm in 2019 after quitting his job. Inspired by his grandmother, he chose poultry farming to create another source of income.
Khaba sees the farm as more than just a business—he wants it to be part of the local agricultural economy. He started the business to address a gap he noticed in the area.
“We realised that in Lothair there’s a scarcity of fresh chicken,” Khaba said.
Youth Minds Poultry Farm currently produces approximately 400 broilers and 120 layers, but Khaba has much bigger ambitions for the business.
The immediate target is to increase production to 5,000 broilers and 3,000 layers.
Two structures are currently under construction to support the expansion. The broiler structure is approximately 95% complete, while the layer structure is about 70% complete.
The expansion is expected to change the scale of the operation, with Khaba investing in automation to improve efficiency.
“We are using an automation system which helps to improve our products and be efficient,” Khaba said.
However, infrastructure is only one part of the challenge facing the growing business.
Khaba estimates that he has invested approximately R150,000 into production inputs. Access to reliable resources remains one of the challenges.
Khaba says the process of acquiring certain resources through the municipality can affect business operations, highlighting the difficulties small rural businesses face when trying to maintain consistent production. Market access will also become increasingly important as production grows.
Youth Minds Poultry Farm is targeting retailers, the local market and larger markets, including the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market. The business is also looking to supply groups such as Nkanyezi Group. The long-term ambition is significantly larger.
Khaba wants Youth Minds Poultry Farm to turn into a commercial poultry farm producing 200,000 broilers and 10,000 eggs a month within the next two years. He also plans to diversify beyond poultry into crops, grains and livestock. The expansion is being driven by business growth and job creation.
Job creation remains one of Khaba’s main objectives.
Youth Minds Poultry Farm currently employs three people, but Khaba expects employment to increase to approximately 30 once the business reaches full production.
He also wants to create opportunities for young people in the community as the business expands. The farm’s community focus can already be seen in its response to Lothair’s water challenges. Khaba says Youth Minds Poultry Farm has been donating JoJo tanks to surrounding farms that struggle to access water.
Khaba wants Youth Minds Poultry Farm to become part of a broader agricultural value chain in Mpumalanga, supplying food to local consumers while creating employment and eventually expanding into other areas of agriculture.
The immediate priority is completing the two structures, testing the automated broiler facility and getting the layer operation ready for production. The next challenge will be turning that infrastructure into consistent commercial output.
