Two years into its launch, the Livestock for Livelihoods initiative in Noupoort is entering a strategic new phase that prioritises value-chain development and improved market access for emerging farmers in the Umsobomvu Local Municipality.

The programme was established in late 2024 to initially improve income-generating opportunities through livestock ownership, supporting participating farmers to strengthen livestock management practices and to diversify value derived from their animals.

It was implemented as Nordex Energy South Africa’s (Nesa) economic development contribution linked to the Koruson 2 construction project.

“Livestock for Livelihoods is moving from foundational farm-level interventions to unlocking sustainable market value for farmers,” said Robert Timmers, managing director of Nesa. “Strengthening governance and market access, especially in the wool-to-textile chain, is critical to creating long-term income opportunities, particularly for women and youth.”

Major constraint revealed

The early implementation of the programme revealed a major constraint: insufficient water infrastructure on municipality approved commonage land. Farmers were keeping their livestock at their homes to secure water access, which created management and compliance challenges. To address this, the programme supported the installation of boreholes on the commonage land, improving water access and enabling livestock management practices that align with municipal by laws.

“We are already seeing practical, visible changes with farmers relocating stock to the commonage. They have started shearing activities and making initial wool sales. This shows the value of pairing infrastructure with targeted training and market linkages,” added Lynn Munsamy, Transformation Manager at Nesa.

The programme currently supports 24 farmers in Noupoort with roughly one-third of the cohort women.

Nesa is now building on Noupoort’s agricultural foundations by exploring expansion into neighbouring Middelburg. Early engagements and a hydrogeological study will shape planned interventions scheduled for June to September. Preliminary findings indicate up to 30 farmers could participate, with implementation adapted to the conditions of three commonage areas: Midros, Lusaka and KwaNonzame.

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