In the heart of Mmotong Makgofe Polokwane, a young entrepreneur is making waves in the poultry farming industry. Ramokone Sannah Kwakwa(25) is a farmer born and raised in Seshego Zone 1. She is the founder of The New Dawn Poultry Farm established in 2020 with a mission to contribute to food security and employment creation in her community.
Faced with the daunting reality of high graduate unemployment in South Africa, popularly known as Sannah took matters into her own hands. Rather than using her university bursary for everyday expenses, she made a bold decision to invest in her poultry farming venture. Her ambition was twofold: to generate employment opportunities and secure financial independence.
Sannah’s farm has become a beacon of hope for many in Mmotong Makgofe. By supplying high-quality broilers and table eggs to households, resellers, bakeries, butcher shops, and spaza shops, Sannah is helping to address food insecurity in the area. Her farm has also created job opportunities for local community members, providing them with a steady income and a sense of purpose.
But Sannah’s impact goes beyond just her farm. She is an inspiration to young entrepreneurs and farmers in her community, showing them that with hard work, resilience, and smart decision-making, they too can achieve success. Her motto, “Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. Your backyard can build an empire!” has become a rallying cry for many young people in the area.
Sannah has completed various training programs to enhance her business and agricultural skills. Notable qualifications include:
> GIBS Graduate (Gordon Institute of Business Science) – 2023
> 12-Month Standard Bank Basali Development Program – 2024
>Marketing Course – Sponsored by the Department of Agriculture
>HACCP & ISO9001 Certification – Sponsored by SEFDA
>Agribusiness Management Training – Sponsored by Polokwane Municipality & Core Energy
>Record-Keeping Course
>Health Management Practices, Cleaning & Disinfecting, and Feed Management Course
>Certificate of Attendance – CCRED (Centre for Competition, Regulation & Economic Development)
>Funded by Oxfam South Africa – FAIR 4 ALL: Inclusive & Sustainable Gender Transformative Value Chains (SLP) – 2023
>Certificate of Attendance – CCBSA Coca-Cola Grow My Business Programme Workshop – 2023
>AI4BIZ: Digital Innovation & Artificial Intelligence for Small Businesses
>JBS Innovation Lab, Johannesburg Business School, University of Johannesburg (Hybrid) – 2023/2024
“These qualifications have equipped me with expertise in business management, digital innovation, marketing, and agribusiness, enabling me to efficiently scale The New Dawn Poultry Farm”. Sannah expressed. The farmer’s achievements are a testament to her dedication and perseverance. She has further won the Bambelela Business Award and received R40,000 in funding, which has helped her expand her farm and increase production. She has also built a strong customer base and gained recognition and media coverage for her journey in farming.
As Sannah looks to the future, she is ambitious about expanding her farm and increasing her impact on the community. “In the next five years, I envision The New Dawn Poultry Farm becoming one of the leading egg suppliers in South Africa,” she says. Sannah’s story is a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship and farming can be a powerful tool for community development. By supporting local farmers like her, we can help create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and build stronger, more resilient communities.
As a young farmer in a male-dominated industry, she credits her success to hard work, resilience, and smart decision-making. She advises aspiring farmers, especially women, to start small, educate themselves, be patient, and persistent. She also emphasizes the importance of networking and marketing through social media. She encourages others to join the industry, believing there is space for women and young entrepreneurs to thrive.
Sannah expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her family and friends for their unwavering support, her loyal customers for believing in her business, and young entrepreneurs and aspiring poultry farmers for their dedication to their dreams.
Follow Sannah’s journey on social media:
Facebook: The New Dawn Poultry Farm
IG: @newdawnpoultry
Twitter/X: @newdawnpoultry