The 2025 Grain SA/Land Bank Smallholder Farmer of the Year, Itumeleng Naphtaly Mongane (62), feels that farming gives his life purpose. ‘It’s not just a job; it is a calling,’ he says. Apart from his own dedication and hard work, his success is primarily thanks to the Phahama Grain Phakama (PGP) Farmer Development Programme through which he developed better agricultural practices. He regularly attends study group meetings and training courses offered by the programme to improve his farming skills.
Itumeleng grew up in an agricultural environment as his parents were subsistence farmers in the rural community where he was raised. Although farming runs through his veins, he left his home village at the age of 21 to work on the mines in Rustenburg. He returned home seven years later to start farming with his father, Johannes – and today he cannot see himself doing anything else.
After Johannes passed away in 1994, Itumeleng worked hard at honouring his father’s legacy. Johannes farmed with maize, sunflower, and beans but Itumeleng decided to focus on maize and sunflower. He now leases 180 ha of arable land from fellow residents of the settlement who do not own the equipment to cultivate their lands. By leasing the land, he is not only helping himself but at the same time providing an extra income for these households.
A lesson Itumeleng has learned over the years is that a farmer has to persevere no matter what. ‘A farmer must be ready for anything. You never know what will happen from one season to the next.’ Perhaps the most valuable lesson he has learned is the importance of faith as a farmer. You can do everything correctly, but you still need the right amount of rain at the right time – and only God can provide that.
Itumeleng has a succession plan in place with his daughter now farming with her dad. He still dreams of expanding his farming operation but says that without funding this remains a dream for now.
ITUMELENG’S STORY
WHICH TRAINING COURSES HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST HELPFUL?
The courses which I have found to be especially helpful are the ones which focus on more than just production. Farming is a business and it is important to learn how to manage your business. These include tractor and farm implement maintenance, the various management courses which include farming for profit, resource assessment, and farm planning, as well as business ethics and farm management.
WHICH CHALLENGES MAKE FARMING DIFFICULT?
The weather will always be a challenge in farming when the conditions are different to what the crops need. We also battle with stock theft. In 2019 they stole 14 head of cattle from me and this year they stole 13 of my goats.
WHY DO YOU KEEP ON FARMING?
It is my calling! Although I have experienced floods, drought, and theft, nothing can dampen my passion. The excitement of seeing something grow from a seed to a product will never disappear.
FARM FACTS
Farm: Nooitgedacht
Nearest town: Mahikeng
Region: North West
Size: 180 ha of communal land
Type of farming operation: Mixed – plants maize and sunflower and has Afrikaner cattle
PGP’S CONTRIBUTION
- Joined Grain SA in 2012
- Mooifontein study group
Training courses completed:
Has completed several courses including:
- Introduction to maize, groundnut and dry bean production
- Tractor and farm implement maintenance
- Farming for profit
- Advanced maize production and marketing
A MENTOR’S VIEW:
Du Toit van der Westhuizen, regional development manager in North West, has been Itumeleng’s mentor for twelve years and says that he is a dedicated and loyal study group member who grabs every opportunity offered to him to grow his farming operation. He is keen to learn and improve his farming skills. Itumeleng is meticulous in keeping book of his expenses and also invests in his farming operation by buying equipment.
