By Mogy Mokgadi Mashako
Mulalo Munyamela, a farmer from Thabazimbi in Limpopo, has secured a title deed to a large commercial farm that will allow her to scale her agribusiness and invest in long-term sustainability.
Munyamela’s operation spans 1355 hectares, with 855 hectares dedicated to livestock and 500 hectares to crop production. Her livestock includes 120 female cows, 40 heifers and four stud Bonsmara bulls.
“When I started, I had everything — amaNguni, Bonsmara, Boran,” she said.
“I learned, okay, if I want to grow in this field, I need to focus on one breed… I had to sell all the Nguni, all the Boran, and focus on Bonsmara, because it’s a good breed, it doesn’t get sick easily, and there’s a good market for it.”
Bonsmara cattle are expensive due to their superior genetics. Bulls weigh around 900kg and cows 495kg.
In 2023, a Bonsmara bull sold for a record R4.4 million at the Up George production auction.
“The Bonsmara Association have their own scoring system. So if you are buying from them, they have a record of that bull, from the birth rate, the weight, how it is growing and how old is it.
“So the price is accompanied by the record of the cow, from the birth rate until the age where it is now,” she explained.
Munyamela runs a mixed farming operation that includes goats, chickens, layers and crops. She grows sunflowers and maize, rotating the crops seasonally based on the soil type and surrounding farming trends.
Her farm employs six permanent workers and up to 18 seasonal workers during peak planting seasons.
A former information science consultant broker turned chef, Munyamela first entered farming while running a catering business because she did not want to rely on other companies for meat and crops.
“When I was farming at Makhado it was not easy. I was renting three different farms. I experienced theft, which is a very big challenge in most of the farms, especially in the rural areas where you are close to the community,” Munyamela said.
“I did think of leaving farming, but my passion has kept me going.”
After applying for a state farm in Thabazimbi, she moved her livestock there but continues to grow maize and feed crops in Makhado to supplement her animals’ diet.
In 2023, Munyamela was awarded the National Female Farmer of the Year Award by the Department of Agriculture.
In 2024, she won the Waterberg District Female Farmer of the Year Award.
“For me, I felt like the awards are going to motivate other women as well, especially being a female farmer of the first generation, where it was not an inheritance. Anything is possible if you dedicate yourself to what you love and most importantly, practice patience because farming needs patience,” she said.
Now awaiting the finalisation of her title deed, Munyamela is clear about what ownership would mean for her business and the rural economy.
Without lease payments draining her cash flow, she plans to invest in solar energy to power borehole irrigation and establish a feedlot system for fattening cattle.
“The plan is to debush the land, plant more crops, and start a feedlot operation,” Munyamela said.
“If I can make that work, I’ll be able to afford another farm — one for planting and one for livestock. That’s the dream.”
