Keabetswe, who hails from Kalbasfontein in Gauteng, says her passion for farming was instilled by her father, who is also a farmer.

 

“We have 373 hectares of land for farming, and use 250 hectares to plant maize and soya beans and the remainder for grazing for Limousin cattle. Right now I have 26 cattle and am working on expanding my herd.

 

“Regarding the crops, I work with Senwes who assist with production input and selling.”

 

From human sciences to farming

 

“After completing my BA degree in psychology and sociology at the NWU, I could not get a job immediately. This was when my father suggested that I should consider working on the farm and be a job creator rather than a job seeker.”

 

She says her interest in agriculture was sparked when she started working with her father. “I used to visit the farm during my university recess, but I never had any understanding of the agricultural process and never looked at it as a business.

 

“Working with my father on the farm has made me fall in love with farming.”“I have developed a serious passion for the field – to such an extent that I don’t see myself doing anything else.”

 

However, she says her years studying at the NWU were definitely not wasted. “I use the knowledge that I gained on a daily basis. Psychology assists me with building relations with stakeholders, and helps me to look at things from different angles.”

 

Learning about faith and patience

 

Keabetswe has always been drawn to nature, but what she loves most about farming is the faith and patience it teaches.

 

“You learn to have faith, as you plant seeds today without the guarantee that they will grow. Once the seeds grow, you do all the necessary processes to ensure you get a desired yield and that entire process may take months, teaching you to have patience.”

 

Keabetswe says should she be blessed with children in the future, she would truly love for them to choose farming as their path and to continue the family business.