Access to food is a basic human right and as food prices continue to soar there is growing concern that vulnerable communities are facing hunger. Mthunzi Dlomo, the founder of Mthunzi Poultry started a business to ensure his community has access to quality and affordable food.

According to Statistics South Africa’s recent publication titled Assessing food inadequacy and hunger in South Africa in 2021, rural households had a higher percentage of households experiencing inadequate and severely inadequate food access compared with their urban counterparts.  

This is an alarming statistic that highlights the importance of making access to food easier. The United Nations is concerned about food insecurity and malnutrition across the world and Mthunzi Poultry supports their sustainable development goal for zero hunger.

The small Greytown based business is positively contributing towards food security by selling chickens, eggs, chicks, and animal feed. The business also grows cabbage, potatoes, spinach, and other crops.

In the radio interview, the young entrepreneur spoke about his inspiration for starting the business and challenges of running a farm. “Many people don’t know that you need large amounts of working capital to keep the business afloat while waiting for the chickens to produce eggs and for the crops to grow,” he said.

Mthunzi added that access to markets is difficult for emerging farmers like himself because they often don’t have enough stock to supply big retailers. He advised farmers going through the same challenge to look for business growth incubation programmes for support and funding.

Despite the many challenges facing the business, Mthunzi remains motivated because he is creating jobs and making it easier for households to access food.

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Listen to this inspirational radio interview that is packed with helpful information about the poultry and farming sector from a young entrepreneur’s perspective.

This interview is in isiZulu on Radio Khwezi.