Two Eastern Cape female farmers scooped top national honours at the annual Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards in Durban recently.
Two Eastern Cape female farmers scooped top national honours at the annual Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards in Durban recently.
Avryl Cox from the OR Tambo district's Nabelemntwini Sawmill Cooperative (Mthatha) took home the Minister’s special award for female entrepreneurs living with disabilities while Buyiswa Ndyenga from Sarah Baartman-based Sunday’s River Farming Trust won in the Top Entrepreneur: Export Markets category.
Reacting to her success, Cox said, “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t expecting this. I am very happy to have been given this award by the Minister. I will invest this prize money back into my business so that we can do more as the business".
Cox urged other women in agriculture and people with disabilities never to give up but to do their best in whatever they do. She won R100 000 in prize money and a tablet computer loaded with Agri suit online software.
Buyiswa Ndyenga, a member of the Sunday's River Trust said, “We are happy that we won in this category and we attribute our success to the support we continue to receive from the government and the team work of all members of the trust in the farm,” adding that women can succeed when they commit to their work.
She said that they will use the money to build a crèche so that their employees' children can be cared for while they are working.
Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, congratulated the winners, saying they are shining examples of female success in the male dominated area of agriculture.
“On behalf of the provincial government, I congratulate the two ladies and their businesses on their win. They overcame serious challenges and odds to get where they are.
This success proves that our female farmers have what it takes to succeed in the farming business. They proved to be amongst the best farmers in the country, continent and the globe,” said Qoboshiyane, adding that government will do everything possible to assist female farmers to succeed.
Mpumalanga’s caster oil manufacturing Julia Shungube was announced as the overall female entrepreneur of the year winner for the night.
