For North West grain farmer Botlhale Tshabalala, mentorship has been as important to his success as hard work. From measuring harvests by trailer loads to analysing yields field by field, guidance from experienced farmers and industry mentors has transformed the way he farms.
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
Farming on scattered communal fields without fences and with limited resources has not stopped Botlhale Tshabalala from building a thriving grain enterprise. He is based around Itsoseng near Lichtenburg in North West
The Grain SA 2025 New Era Commercial Farmer Award winner has grown his operation from 15 to 200 hectares, but perhaps his biggest transformation has been in the way he approaches farming.
Botlhale credits a network of mentors with helping him move from farming with limited knowledge to running his operation as a commercial business.
He started with the knowledge he gained from his father but soon realised he needed to learn from farmers who had already travelled the road he wanted to follow.
Also read: Engineer-turned-farmer wins 2025 Grain SA New Era Commercial Farmer Award
Learning from experienced farmers
One of the first people he approached was Heinrich Krüger, former chairman of NWK’s board of directors. Botlhale had gone to school with Krüger’s son, Hansie, and decided to ask his father for advice.
“He didn’t hesitate to share his knowledge,” Botlhale recalls.
Heinrich’s support went beyond advice. When Botlhale struggled with weed control, Heinrich donated a boom sprayer to him.
Another farmer who assisted him was Marco van Rensburg.
“All of these guys were very open and helped me a lot,” says Botlhale.
Also read: From herding cattle at nine to 300ha of sunflower: Obakeng Ntshabele’s farming journey
In 2016, he joined the Itsoseng study group, where Du Toit van der Westhuizen, Grain SA’s regional development manager for Phahama Grain Phakama in North West, was the study leader. Botlhale became a Grain SA member in 2018.
The study group exposed him to a more structured and business-focused approach to farming.
“Before working with Du Toit, I measured my harvest by counting trailer loads. I never knew exactly how many tonnes each hectare produced.”
That changed as he learned to measure performance more accurately.
Today, every field is monitored individually. Poor-performing fields are identified, soil problems investigated and management adjusted accordingly.
The same discipline applies to machinery.
“In the past, we only repaired tractors after they broke down. Now we service equipment according to operating hours because preventative maintenance saves money.”
Also read: ‘Farming has been my university’: How Mahlatse Bonoko turned losses into a 40-cattle operation
Turning knowledge into better yields
Mentorship also changed Botlhale’s approach to crop production.
One of his biggest lessons came from sunflower. Like many communal farmers, he believed sunflower required little fertiliser. The assumption proved costly.
After adopting proper fertilisation practices, his sunflower yields improved from about 0.8 tonnes per hectare to approximately 1.4 tonnes per hectare.
His maize now averages around 6 tonnes per hectare – an impressive achievement under communal farming conditions.
For Botlhale, these improvements demonstrate the value of applying knowledge gained from experienced farmers.
Also read: She chose nursing over veterinary science, but farming called Mapitsi Mashego home
Learning to become bankable
As his operation grew, mentorship also helped him understand that commercial farming requires more than good yields.
In 2020, he approached NWK for a production loan to expand his business.
“I lacked certain documents, but NWK explained its requirements. I returned the following year with all the relevant information and I was granted the loan.”
The experience taught him the importance of documentation, planning and financial discipline.
After becoming an NWK client, Botlhale joined its Developing Farmer Project and was mentored by Leonard Thaphathi, the project’s former manager.
“That guy! He believed in me from the start. He has played a big part in my success. I still miss his presence, but now I’m fortunate to get the same support from Klaston Sefiti at NWK.”
He also credits David Whitfield, a Nedbank mentor, for advising him on his Brahman cattle enterprise, while Lourie Rootman, Midchem’s area representative, helped him improve his use of chemical inputs.
For Botlhale, each mentor has contributed a different piece of knowledge, helping him build the skills needed to manage a growing commercial operation.
His journey from 15 hectares of scattered communal land to 200 hectares and Grain SA’s 2025 New Era Commercial Farmer Award is therefore not only a story of determination. It is also a powerful demonstration of what can happen when farmers are willing to seek guidance, learn from others and turn knowledge into action.
Coming up in Part 2: We take a closer look at the production side of Botlhale’s farming operation.
Also read:
From maize and sugar beans to chillies: Mapitsi Mashego’s recipe for crop success
Stray cattle destroyed his maize crop – why Mahlatse Bonoko refuses to give up on growing his own feed
Less diesel, smarter sunflower: Obakeng Ntshabele’s conservation turnaround
