From door-to-door meat sales to national agricultural nomination

DELMAS – Delmas entrepreneur Nokwanda Prettygirl Msomi has been nominated for the South African Agricultural Awards, marking another milestone in a business journey that began while she was still in Grade 10.

The founder of PrettyGirl Integrated Farm gained her first business experience selling meat door to door in 2021, before developing ambitions for poultry production and a broader agricultural enterprise.

The experience taught her how to deal with customers and understand their needs. She later pursued Animal Health and continued developing her knowledge of agriculture and its supply chain.

Msomi said her decision to pursue agriculture was driven by the opportunities she saw in the sector.

“I realised that farming is much bigger than simply planting crops or keeping livestock. It is a business, a food system and a way of creating employment and opportunities,” she said.

PrettyGirl Integrated Farm is being developed around poultry production, particularly broilers, while Msomi is also exploring livestock, crops, food production, agricultural services and training.

For Msomi, agriculture offers an opportunity to combine her entrepreneurial interests with work that can make a difference in communities.

“I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset, and agriculture gave me an opportunity to combine that mindset with something that has a real impact on people’s lives,” she said.

She wants PrettyGirl Integrated Farm to grow beyond agricultural production by connecting it with training, entrepreneurship, logistics and markets.

“What makes PRETTYGIRL INTEGRATED FARM different is the fact that I am building it as more than a farm,” she said.

“I see it as an agricultural platform that connects production, food, training, business development, logistics and community opportunities.”

Building the business has not been without challenges. Msomi said access to funding, infrastructure, markets, transport and business networks can be difficult for young people establishing themselves in agriculture.

She has responded by using available resources, building relationships and seeking opportunities to learn.

“I have learned not to wait for everything to be perfect,” she said.

“I use the resources I have, I build relationships, I attend agricultural events, I conduct research, I market myself and my business, and I continue learning.”

Msomi has also participated in agricultural knowledge-sharing, farmer events and networking activities. She said she wants to help connect people with information, markets and practical opportunities.

Her vision is for the growth of her business to create opportunities for others.

“I don’t want to build a successful business alone. I want the growth of PRETTYGIRL INTEGRATED FARM to create opportunities for other people to learn, participate and earn,” she said.

Over the next five years, Msomi aims to develop PrettyGirl Integrated Farm into a sustainable agricultural enterprise, with a particular focus on expanding poultry production. One of her targets is to reach 5,000 broilers.

Winning the agricultural award would mean more than personal recognition for Msomi. She believes it could raise her business’s profile and create opportunities for partnerships, investment and access to markets.

She also sees recognition as a responsibility.

“I would also see the award as a responsibility. Recognition should come with greater impact. I would want to use the platform to encourage more young people to take agriculture seriously,” she said.

Her message to young people, particularly young women, is to take their place in agriculture without waiting until they have everything they need.

“Do not underestimate yourself because of your age or because you are a woman,” she said.

“Start where you are, with what you have, and keep learning.”

As PrettyGirl Integrated Farm develops, Msomi wants it to demonstrate what young entrepreneurs can achieve by combining agriculture with business.

“I don’t want PRETTYGIRL INTEGRATED FARM to only be known as a farm. I want it to be known as a business that shows what is possible when a young person believes in agriculture, learns continuously and turns a vision into something real,” she said.