Inga Mdunyelwa, 23, a co-owner in a Pondoland brand milling plant, was crowned best Eastern Cape female entrepreneur of the year at the annual Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards last week, walking away with a R250,000 overall winner’s prize.
Mdunyelwa, from Flagstaff, produces poultry feed from maize she buys from local farmers and then mills at her plant.
She packages it and sells it in bags to 82 Shoprite stores in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, 16 Spar stores in Eastern Cape, and all Boxer stores in the Eastern Cape through their distribution centre.
The awards took place at the Thobi Kula Indoor Sport Centre in Komani on Thursday.
She took top honours in the agro-processing category ahead of being crowned overall female entrepreneur of the year.
She beat six other women farmers who won in the smallholder, commercial, exporting, subsistence and female farm worker categories.
Mdunyelwa also walked away with R125,000 for the top entrepreneur in the processing sector, while Noluthando Mbilase took the R125,000 award for the best entrepreneur in export markets.
Mdunyelwa said winning the overall prize was a huge boost for her as she had always loved farming.
“I fell in love with farming after seeing my mother spending most of her time in her garden. She did not go to school and spent most of her time growing vegetables for us to eat,” she said.She said growing up she realised her mother was her hero – someone who had nothing, yet made something so that her children could eat.
“In our project we make pellets and crushed maize. Next year, with the money we won today, we are thinking of expanding the business and making rice, amabele (corn), sorghum and samp,” she said.
Rural development and agrarian reform MEC Xolile Nqatha said it was a great pleasure to celebrate women in farming, and awarding them for their hard work.
“This is contributing to our economy as the province and the country.
“In this male dominated society, this shows that we must overcome patriarchy,” he said.
“Underlining the struggle against patriarchy and the struggle of women, this shows that we as men are still oppressed because we think that some jobs are not meant for women,” he said.
Nqatha said, “Agriculture is the backbone of rural development in the province. You are the pioneers that will help to ensure this is done. You are not only producing food or rearing animals to feed your families, but you are also participating in job creation, poverty alleviation and economic development programmes of our province and the country.
“By what you are doing you are bringing back the dignity of black people,” said Nqatha.
He said more young people needed to be involved in agriculture and farming.
“Agriculture, which is the backbone of rural development, must have an impact in the increasing life expectancy in the province. We need to process what we have in order to create jobs and build factories,” he said.
In August Buffalo City Metro will host the national female entrepreneur of the year awards.
Linda Mgedezi will represent the province in the best female worker category, Noluntu Flathela in substance farming, Zoliwe Rhum in the smallholder category, Sophia Wanganela in commercial farming, Mdunyelwa in agro-processing and Noluthando Mbilase in the export category...