Cattle farmer, Lebaleba Rufus Thobejane is a true testament to the saying, ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’

Thobejane, from Madeira village in the Sekororo area near Hoedspruit, has always cherished the idea of one day becoming a successful cattle farmer.

However, before his dream could be realised, he worked in Gauteng as an artisan after he did welding courses at the Olifantsfontein College of the Department of Trade and Industry (Indlela). He did not give up on his dream and sure enough, his persistence paid off and he was able to realise it.

With the little money he saved from working as a welder, he was able to invest in his first herd in 2004 after he bought four heifers, two bulls, and two cows at an auction which was held at the Bulwer Breeding project, the then government cattle improvement scheme which was founded by the Maruleng Municipality.

He also bought two heifers from a fellow villager which brought his initial herd to ten. He applied for a portion of land to the Sekororo Traditional Authority to construct kraals and other handling facilities at the foot of the Mamumolwane Mountain.

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That was a strategic decision as it allowed his herd to graze on the nutritious mountain grass and not on the low-lying areas and crops like other farmers. He currently has a herd of 120 cattle of the historic Nguni Pediecotype breed. In Limpopo there are three Nguni eco-breeds, the Shangaan, Tshikalanga, and the Pedi.

Due to land reform programmes two of the conservation sites of the Nguni Pedi-ecotypes were closed in line with land claims. This has left Thobejane with the responsibility of preserving the Nguni Pedi-ecotype in the region.

He has defied all the odds and negative perceptions of village cattle production when it comes to progressive management. His animals are all marked for identification purposes. They are without wounds caused by ticks as he has a regular dipping schedule on which never compromises.

A deworming programme to protect them from internal parasites is also regularly followed. His herd is dehorned which makes it easy to handle. His herd is always in good condition as there is ample grazing available on the Mamumolwane Mountain peak which puts him in a unique situation as many struggle to feed their herds, especially during winter.

The pandemic has also affected small-scale cattle producers in the area. Before the pandemic farmers used to sell their animals at Turkey Auction Kraal in collaboration with Badenhorst Afslaers.

Due to Covid-19, the selling schedule can no longer be regularly conducted. He now sells his to buyers from local villages. Thobejane has inspired other villagers with his good practices and they now also want to adapt their farming practices to their environment and needs.

He remains hopeful that the pandemic will pass and that he will be able to return to focussing to expand and better his farming practices even more.