Mandeni egg entrepreneurs on a roll

In the face of discouragement, upcoming entrepreneurs Slondiwe Nxumalo and Ntwenhle Linda stand firm in their resolve to establish a poultry business.

Winners of the recent iLembe Chamber of Business entrepreneur competition, the duo behind Lunginhlahla Projects, trading as Qandalami (My Egg) poultry agribusiness, are determined to break into the retail market.

Founded in 2020 as a small home-based broiler enterprise, Qandalami has evolved into a thriving entity producing and selling eggs on a 10 000-layer unit.

Their ambitious plans are to expand to a 30 000-layer unit by 2028.

Operating from a long-term leased sugarcane farm in Mangethe, Mandeni, the strategic location provides ample space for future growth.

Currently, Qandalami predominantly serves semi-formal and informal markets, supplying town shops, wholesalers, and farmgate sales.

However, Nxumalo and Linda aspire to secure a spot in the retail market and are actively working on obtaining the necessary certifications to make this a reality.

Reflecting on their journey, Linda acknowledged the challenges of the poultry business.

Despite facing discouragement from some quarters, they found support from others willing to share knowledge and expertise.

“Early this year, we lost at least 1 000 chickens owing to heat. Chickens already have a very high temperature in their bodies, so any extra heat causes stress and they become sick. Those are the type of things you need to know when it comes to looking after your chickens. That was a serious setback for us and it was not easy recovering from that,” said Linda.

She emphasised the importance of being hands-on and continually upgrading one’s understanding of the business.

Linda had to redirect her career path after her plan to teach English overseas was disrupted by the Covid pandemic.

She turning to her childhood friend, Nxumalo, who was involved in her family’s sugarcane farm, and the two decided to join forces to start Qandalami.

Participating in the iLembe Entrepreneur competition proved to be a turning point for therm.

The guidance provided by the Chamber allowed them to reassess and refine their business approach, correcting aspects that needed improvement.

With seven full-time employees and occasional interns, Qandalami aims to further expand its workforce as they anticipate continued growth.

Grateful for the transformative knowledge gained through the competition, the two look ahead with optimism.

You can email them at lunginhlahla.projects@gmail.com or call 074 3753137.

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