NEWS
SENWES
PARTNERS
WITH WINNING TEAM
Barui-Driekhoek Co-operative is a dynamic , multi-award-winning commercial farming business spearheaded by husband-and-wife team Kabelo and Matshidiso Mooketsi , in partnership with their daughter , Lesego .
Kefiloe Manthata Senwes Journalist
The two former government employees left the security of full-time employment to pursue their passion for farming and to grow their business . Barui-Driehoek is one of the first beneficiaries of a portion of the R60 million fund commissioned by Senwes Agri Credit Solutions to assist emerging farmers over three years . The fund formed part of the conditions set by the Competition Commission during the Suidwes acquisition .
Incidentally , the co-operative is also the first emerging livestock farming business to partner with Senwes . “ It shows you that you must never underestimate the power of social media . We came across an advertisement on Facebook and I immediately decided to contact Julias Ramohlabi .” Julias Ramohlabi , Senwes Head : Development Agriculture , says it was the Mooketsi ' s passion for farming and their impeccable professionalism in running their business that caught his interest . “ They were extremely efficient and provided all the information we needed to process their application without any hassles . That ’ s when I knew that this partnership would work .”
Kabelo and Matshidiso started farming in 2008 on a rented communal farm in the
Tosca area . After a successful application for the Nguni catle development programme , 24 herd of Nguni catle were granted to them by the North West Department of Agriculture in collaberation with the IDC . Like most stories , theirs has a fair share of trials and challenges on the way to building the success they now enjoy . With no previous agricultural knowledge or experience , the pair had only their passion and undefeatable determination to lean on when they started their business .
Matshidiso relays a story of how , for the first few years , they had to rely on the kindness of their neighbour Koos Pieterse , to get water to their rundown farm . “ We used our own tractor and trailer to collect water from
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SENWES SCENARIO | LENTE � SPRING 2021