A 100% African women-owned and youth-majority-owned agricultural enterprise, Pula Nala Enterprises, was recognised with a prestigious award at the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture (DoA) Women Entrepreneur Awards held in the Alfred Nzo District last week.
Initiated in 1999, the awards aim to encourage and increase women’s equal participation in agriculture while celebrating their contributions to job creation, economic growth and poverty alleviation.
In her policy speech earlier this year, the MEC for the Department of Agriculture, Nonceba Kontsiwe, emphasised the department’s commitment to supporting women-led enterprises, with mechanisation identified as a key driver of agricultural productivity.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kabelo Pullings shared the journey of Pula Nala, which was established in 2020, following family discussions about creating employment.
“We started with over 50 hectares of land, but now we have cultivated 250 hectares. Over that period, we have employed more than 500 people. When I started this journey, I thought it would be easy. I believed that with the financial muscle I had, and a bit of hard work, things would just work out, but they did not. However, it is incredibly rewarding to create jobs and see our company grow. My company is contributing positively to the national agenda of creating jobs,” she said.
Pula Nala primarily cultivates soya beans and maize, which are sold to export markets.
Pullings explained their sales model: “Traders come to our village and take our produce to the harbour. They export our maize and soya beans. We also sell to the local market, but those sales are not as significant.”
Beyond crop cultivation, Pula Nala is involved in diversified agriculture. They grow spinach and lettuce, rear broiler chicks, and manage 300-layer hens, whose eggs are sold to major retailers.
They are also exploring indigenous chicken crossbreeding to enhance product quality and raising pigs for the white meat market. Their dynamic approach demonstrates their comprehensive involvement in agricultural value chains.
“It is always affirming to be acknowledged for the work we do to drive positive change in society. While we do not work for recognition, being recognised motivates and inspires us to do more. I am relatively new to agriculture; in 2023, we were awarded a scholarship through the Soil Sista Programme at GIBS (University of Pretoria Business School), sponsored by Corteva Agriscience. That programme, specifically for women agri-preneurs, significantly shaped our growth,” Pullings shared.
In the same year, Pula Nala was incubated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to pilot South Africa’s Hemp and Cannabis Master Plan.
“We worked hard to meet compliance requirements, submit necessary documentation, and present our business professionally. For many farmers, the administrative and financial burdens are significant barriers. However, participating in such opportunities creates valuable networks and fosters inspiration that often outweighs the challenges,” Pullings said.
She stressed the importance of advocating for rural women and youth in agriculture.
“These women and youth farm with passion and purpose, often with minimal support or recognition. We aim to amplify their voices and advocate for inclusive and tailored support systems that meet rural entrepreneurs where they are.”
Other notable winners at the event included Nolandu Mbinda Milling, which won Best Agro-Processor, and Ndikhoyo Trading, awarded as the Best Smallholder Producer.
