There is something deeply powerful about women who quietly build futures with their own hands while the world doubts them. Women who refuse to surrender to poverty. Women who create opportunities not only for themselves, but for entire communities. Sibongile Mabasa is one of those women.
By Maphuti Mongatane, business development manager at African Farming
Born in Malamulele in Mavambe village, Sibongile grew up in a large family and experienced hardship from an early age after losing her father when she was just 14 years old. Like many young people searching for opportunity, she later moved to Johannesburg in pursuit of a better future. With no financial support for tertiary education, she took a job as a petrol attendant in 1998, working exhausting night shifts while attending college during the day. “I asked to work night shifts so that I could go to school during the day,” she explained.
While juggling work and studies, she also helped support and care for her younger siblings. After obtaining her diploma in Business Management specialising in Financial Accounting and Cost Management, Sibongile spent years struggling to secure permanent employment before eventually joining a construction company in 2004. Through hard work and determination, she rose from head of administration to project manager, gaining valuable experience working alongside engineers and professionals during major infrastructure projects linked to the 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations.
But even while she was employed, her dream was already taking root elsewhere.
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A Bold Leap into Farming
Using bank finance, she bought a piece of land on the border of Gauteng and Mpumalanga – at the time it was nothing more than bush filled with gum trees – and slowly began transforming it into a productive farming operation. “I wanted to do something different,” she said. “I wanted something unique that nobody else was doing.”
That vision led her into pecan nut farming – a sector where black women farmers were almost non-existent. Sibongile planted more than 350 pecan nut trees, drilled a borehole, installed electricity infrastructure and began building her dream from scratch while still working full-time. Eventually, she made the bold decision to leave formal employment completely and to pursue farming full-time.
Building a Dream Through Hardship
What followed was one of the most difficult periods of her life. She moved onto the farm with her young son and spent two months living in a small camping tent in the middle of the bush while building a two-roomed house from shutterboard with her own hands, assisted by her late mother. “It wasn’t easy,” she recalled. “Several days I went to bed without food because there was nothing on the table.” At the time, many people questioned her decisions and doubted her vision. But Sibongile kept going.
Armed with only a hoe, determination and relentless faith, she cleared land manually and planted vegetables between the young pecan nut trees to generate income. She cultivated spinach, beans, okra, tomatoes, onions and greens, loading produce into her car early every morning before driving to markets and hawkers in Daveyton to sell her harvest.
Year after year, she continued building. Slowly the pecan nut orchard began producing. After years of patience and perseverance, Sibongile finally achieved meaningful pecan harvests and secured supply relationships with markets and retailers, including Food Lover’s Market and local SPAR stores. She also expanded into value addition by peeling and processing nuts herself before sale. Today she proudly runs her business, Bombeleni (Pty) Ltd, which is named after a powerful title given to her by her grandmother. Bombeleni means a woman who trusts herself, carries strength and overcomes obstacles.
The business has already transformed her life. Through farming, Sibongile built her own house, bought a tractor and a vehicle for deliveries, and established an organic pecan nut nursery during Covid-19 in 2020. She now grows pecan nut trees from seed to planting stage and has already sold hundreds of trees to other farmers.
Organic Farming Practices
Her farming operation remains proudly organic. Using garlic, ginger, bicarbonate of soda, neem and natural repellents, she manages pests and diseases without relying heavily on chemicals. Through years of practical learning and experimentation, she has also developed valuable skills in grafting, pruning and orchard management. “I am not shy to ask experienced farmers for knowledge and mentorship,” she said. “Learning from others is one of the keys to growth.”
Also read: Female farmers digging in for the greater good
Growing Beyond the Orchard
Today, Sibongile is pursuing even greater ambitions. Her vision includes expanding into tunnels, building a packhouse with refrigeration facilities, and acquiring harvesting equipment, nut processing machinery, additional tractors and more land. Her goal is to grow the business and to create meaningful employment opportunities within her community. Currently, the farm creates seasonal work opportunities, with employment increasing during harvest periods. Beyond farming, Sibongile’s commitment to growth is equally inspiring academically. Her educational journey includes qualifications in Project Management, Health and Safety, Agricultural Maintenance and Theology. She currently holds an honours degree in Theology and is pursuing a PhD.
Sibongile’s story is a reminder that South Africa is filled with hardworking women with ideas capable of transforming communities if only they are given access to funding, infrastructure, mentorship and market opportunities. Investing in women like Sibongile is not charity. It is an investment in food security, job creation, rural development and economic transformation. Her orchard between Gauteng and Mpumalanga is living proof that resilience, vision and persistence can turn even the harshest beginnings into something extraordinary.
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