Nkobongo poultry farming entrepreneur Daniso is on the move [Watch]

Perseverance is what helped Mduduzi Daniso go from being a taxi conductor to a promising businessman.

The 27-year-old finished 3rd in the iLembe Chamber Entrepreneur competition held in October. He is the proud owner of Nomalinge Poultry Farming, a small but vibrant business in Nkobongo.

The competition judges commented that in his case, necessity produced a natural entrepreneur, promoting healthy and organic farming in his community.

Daniso, who started his business in 2020, attributes his determination to his mother who demonstrated that under no circumstances should one ever give up.

“I come from a hustling family and was raised by a single parent. My mother never had a proper full-time job in her life. She worked on sugar cane farms but had to stop owing to poor health. She then opened a tuck shop and shebeen and everything was going well because she was able to take care of her children,” said Daniso.

“But the business eventually folded and she now works as a domestic worker. She is my support system, always encouraging me to push beyond my abilities. I am who I am today because of her.”

The 2014 Groutville High School matriculant was among the top 5 district achievers and received an award as the top achiever in dramatic arts in the iLembe region.

He then studied social work at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College campus, but after obtaining his degree, could not find employment.

“That is when I realised I had to come up with something to support myself. Poultry farming came to mind because it allowed me to address food insecurity. I hope in the future I will also be able to create employment opportunities for my community,” said Daniso, who buys broiler chicks and raises them into adults which he sells both live and prepared for the pot.

He encouraged other young people not to become despondent because of their circumstances, but rather to embrace their challenges as motivation to keep going.

“I am still far from where I want to be, but I am proud of my progress thus far. Being raised by a shebeen queen and a domestic worker to become a social work graduate and now a poultry farmer, serves as an example that anything is possible in life as long as you dream and have a vision,” he said.

Daniso has had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, selling sweets and biscuits in primary school to make extra money.

In high school, when the family struggled financially, he began working as a taxi conductor for the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association on weekends and school holidays.

“The money I earned was used for school transport and support at home. It also funded my registration fees at university.”

He said being part of the iLembe Chamber competition helped him significantly.

He was able to identify what he was doing wrong in his business and implement helpful changes, including purchasing equipment to process his meat.

Contact Mduduzi Daniso at 078 930 3261.

For breaking news follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Join our Telegram Broadcast Service at: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0

Join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Simply add 082 792 9405 (North Coast Courier) as a contact to your phone, and WhatsApp your name and surname to the same number to be added.