A R350,000 injection into an Eastern Cape rural livestock cooperative last week from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) managed Imvaba Cooperative Fund is driving the commercialisation efforts of the Nqabarha Cooperative in Lubhelu Village in Willowvale.
Meant to boost cooperative-led agribusinesses in the province, the financial is intended to scale operations, improve herd quality and to drive the entrance of the six-member cooperative into the livestock commercial value chain. The financial injection came in the form of 20 heifers, animal feed and veterinary medication worth R55,000. Established by a group of subsistence farmers after 10 years of individual farming, it now operates on 10 hectares with access to an additional 100 hectares of communal land. The cooperative has a mixed herd of 100 cattle and 60 goats.
Since inception, the Imvaba Cooperative Fund has supported over 400 cooperatives in the Eastern Cape. These cooperatives have contributed to the creation of more than 2,600 permanent and seasonal jobs.
“Our next phase involves entering the agro-processing value chain by establishing a small-scale abattoir – a critical step toward year-round meat supply and improved market access for local producers.
“With the current support, Nqabarha Cooperative aims to transition from community-based livestock management to commercially oriented production while continuing to support smallholder farmers in the region,” says cooperative spokesperson Sindisa Dunga.
Dunga says they are managing livestock not just for themselves, but for emerging farmers from as far as Mthatha.
“This funding allows us to improve productivity, animal health and services.
“We currently provide boarding services for emerging livestock farmers, supplies cattle for local cultural and ceremonial needs, and employs four locals. We also invested R20,000 into fencing and infrastructure development, hiring local labourers and further stimulating the rural economy,” says Dunga, who left the corporate sector to help grow the cooperative.
Leading the handover of the 20 heifers, animal feed and veterinary medication, the Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism Nonkqubela Pieters said the department through the Imvaba Cooperative Fund “is investing in the capacity of cooperatives to become sustainable, create jobs and contribute to inclusive growth in the Eastern Cape economy.
ECDC regional manager for the Buffalo City and Amathole region Rufus Nayo says the Imvaba Cooperative Fund promotes the development, productivity and competitiveness of cooperative enterprises in the Eastern Cape. It offers a financial incentive capped at a maximum of R600,000 for qualifying cooperatives, including an additional R150 000 for enterprising individuals with the cooperative.
Its support is aimed at primary cooperatives (cooperative enterprises whose members directly participate in economic activity), as well as individuals who are members of a cooperative and whose activities align with those of the cooperative.
Nayo says the fund is offered in the form of a non-repayable incentive combined with institutional and/or capacity building support. It is meant as a once-off incentive, with a waiting period of five years before a cooperative can reapply.
“The Fund has thus played a catalytic role in injecting resources into local economies, strengthening local cooperative enterprises, and supporting inclusive economic growth.
“The Imvaba Cooperative Fund’s sector focus is relatively broad and includes agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, manufacturing, ICT, green economy, crafts and the oceans economy among others,” says Nayo.
