Witbank entrepreneur creates 76 jobs after rebuilding poultry business hit by loadshedding

When loadshedding wiped out nearly 90% of her chickens, Witbank entrepreneur Nokuthula Makhubedu came close to losing her poultry business. Instead, she rebuilt. Today her business, NM Farm Fresh, employs 76 people, supports a network of small farmers and supplies thousands of chickens into formal markets. Makhubedu’s journey was recently recognised through the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme, which supports high-potential small businesses to grow and create jobs.

Founded in 2017, NM Farm Fresh began modestly with Makhubedu selling live chickens to local resellers. Within 18 months, she expanded into chicken meat production and established an abattoir, allowing the business to move beyond informal markets.

But growth came with significant challenges. South Africa’s poultry sector is highly competitive, ranking as the world’s second-most competitive producer according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s latest Competitiveness Benchmark Report. Small-scale poultry producers play an important role in the country’s food supply and rural employment, yet many struggle to scale due to price volatility, biosecurity risks and infrastructure constraints.

For Makhubedu, the biggest obstacle was electricity instability.

Chickens require tightly controlled conditions, particularly during their early stages of growth. When power outages disrupted water systems and temperature control on the farm, losses mounted.

“We had to ‘loadshed ourselves’,” says Makhubedu. “We used solar power during the day to pump water and run the farm, but at night there was almost no power.”

The consequences were severe. Nearly 90% of her initial stock was lost.

Determined to stabilise the business, Makhubedu applied to the SAB Foundation’s Tholoana Enterprise Programme, an 18-month Programme offering mentorship, training and strategic business support to entrepreneurs with growth potential.

Through the programme, NM Farm Fresh installed a solar energy system that enabled the farm to stabilise operations and expand production.

“That investment changed everything,” she says. “We were able to automate systems, purchase equipment and focus on scaling the abattoir, which is now our most profitable part of the business.”

Today NM Farm Fresh works with 76 farmers, 80% of whom are women, and 60% are young people, creating new income opportunities in the surrounding community.

The business now supplies between 4 000 and 6 000 chickens per month to government buyers and has secured an international food safety certification, positioning it for further expansion into formal markets.

Makhubedu was part of the TEP16 cohort, which received more than 5 900 applications from entrepreneurs across South Africa. After a rigorous selection process, 61 entrepreneurs entered the programme and 52 graduated, collectively creating 191 new jobs and sustaining 638 others across sectors including agriculture, retail and construction.

“Entrepreneurs like Nokuthula demonstrate the role small businesses play in strengthening local economies,” says Itumeleng Dhlamini, Head of Programmes at the SAB Foundation. “When these businesses grow, they create jobs and opportunities that extend into entire communities.”

For Makhubedu, the biggest lesson from the journey is simple.

“The most important thing I learned is to start,” she says. “No matter where you are or what you have, just start.”