Hatching success with the family

The R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, became a lifeline for five young cousins from No­bumba Village in Peddie, situated in the Eastern Cape. Amid the pandemic's upheaval, the would-be entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to transform their circumstances by pooling their monthly SRD grants.

The Bayeni Poultry Cooperative, which now sells broiler chickens to surrounding towns and villages, became a way of earning a living and putting food on the table after the group lost their jobs due to COVID-19. “Our vision was to get up and do something for ourselves,” explains Bayeni chairperson Phumlisa Ngabase.

The SRD grants served as vital seed capital, enabling the cousins to purchase young chicks and feed. In a display of resourcefulness, they crafted makeshift feeders and drinkers for the birds, while also producing their own bricks for the construction of a coop.

Seeing their progress, the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) stepped in to assist by donating additional bags of feed and day-old chicks, as well as a plucker machine and water tanks.

The department also provided crucial training on poultry-farming techniques and business management practices to ensure long-term success and sustainability for the fledgling business.

“DRDAR officials gave us information packs about the different stages of growing chickens and the types of feed to use at each stage," Ngabase says. “The assistance we have received has minimised our challenges, and we are starting to see profits.”

Looking ahead, the cousins are eager to invest in a better and more spacious enclosure for their poultry operation as their current setup limits the number of birds they can raise. Their aspirations are to scale up their business to supply larger supermarkets in the future.

As they work their way towards that dream, Bayeni continues to prove that even the smallest seed of opportunity holds remarkable potential with enough dedication and perseverance.