Ntsako Shipalana is not only a successful chicken farmer, she is also giving back to the industry by training others.

Shipalana, from Tzaneen in Limpopo, owns Olori Chickens, which she established in 2017.

“As I grew in the industry, I realised that there are people who are interested in learning about it, but don’t know where to start. I decided to close that gap by teaching.

“It is honestly beautiful to watch people being able to stand on their own, knowing I played a little role in that,” she says.

Shipalana’s desire to see more people earn a living because of her training sessions resulted in her developing a training manual.

“I was raised by parents who always encouraged us to be in business and create great opportunities for ourselves, while also empowering others,” she says.

Although she is based in Limpopo, people reach out to Shipalana from all over the country.

This makes her feel as if she is making a meaningful contribution.

“Each day I receive positive feedback from the people I have assisted. We recently celebrated someone who attended our seminar and is now supplying a Pick n Pay outlet. This is a milestone,” she says.

Shipalana encourages people to start with what they have, as this will help them to gain the experience they need when setting up large workspaces.

“It is better to have opportunities find you when you’ve already started,” she says.

Shipalana’s parents helped her to start the business, which also received a financial boost from the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) after its first year.

Shipalana initially started the business raising chickens, but later expanded to selling them ready to cook to save time for her customers.

The business currently employs three people and the chickens are sold to households, middlemen and shisanyama owners.

“Growing up around agriculture made it so easy for me to fall in love with poultry. My father had layers and that boosted my desire for broiler production,” she says.

For more information about the NYDA and the assistance it offers, visit www.nyda.gov.za or call 087 158 6345.

-This article was originally published in the GCIS Vuk'uzenzele.