In Cottondale, a small agricultural enterprise is growing into something much bigger than a farm.
For local entrepreneur Thulani Mabaso, Ndhuna Mabaso Farm is about far more than growing fresh produce. It is a way to honour his family’s heritage, create employment and skills opportunities, and build a sustainable business that can make a difference in his community.
What began as a small-scale operation producing just four crops has grown into a diversified agricultural enterprise producing more than 15 different products, with approximately 15,000 plants currently at various stages of growth.
But for Thulani, the numbers only tell part of the story.
At the heart of the farm is a belief that agriculture can create opportunity, not only for the person running the business, but for the people and community around it.
With support from the Thornybush Community Enterprise Development Impact Pillar, Thulani has been able to take his vision further, gaining access to resources, skills development and new markets that have helped his business grow.
Today, Ndhuna Mabaso Farm produces a variety of fresh produce, including cabbages, spinach, gooseberries, radishes and herbs, while employing four people. The farm is also helping to open doors for young people. During 2026, 27 interns have gained hands-on agricultural experience through its internship programme, while developing valuable workplace skills. Beyond the farm itself, Ndhuna is also committed to giving back to his community, donating fresh produce to local institutions, including the Cottondale Disability Centre and Jameyane Primary School in Acornhoek.
For these young people, the experience offers more than an opportunity to learn how to plant and harvest. It provides a chance to see agriculture differently – not simply as a way of producing food, but as a viable career and a potential pathway to entrepreneurship.
Growing a more resilient business
Since becoming part of Thornybush Community’s Enterprise Development initiative, the farm has expanded significantly, with diversification becoming an important part of building a stronger and more resilient business.
And Thulani is looking beyond fresh produce.
The farm has established its own nursery, supplying seedlings to local farmers as well as providing seedlings for its own production. This has created another income stream while helping other agricultural enterprises in the surrounding community get growing.
There is also opportunity in what might otherwise be considered waste. Rather than allowing surplus herbs to go to waste when they don’t make it to market, Thulani has found a way to give them new value by processing them into dried herbs. It is a simple but effective example of the entrepreneurial thinking that is helping the farm evolve.
For Thornybush Community, Enterprise Development is about creating the conditions for this kind of growth.
Through its Enterprise Development social impact pillar, the organisation aims to provide local entrepreneurs with the resources, skills and opportunities they need to build sustainable businesses and create livelihoods.
For Ndhuna Mabaso Farm, this support has included seedlings, planting crates and the construction of the nursery, alongside skills development and access to new markets.
That market access has been particularly important. The farm now supplies fresh produce to Thornybush lodges and participates in the Hoedspruit Farmers Market, giving Thulani opportunities to reach new customers and grow his sales.
Because having something to sell is only part of building a business. Having access to a market is what can turn what you grow into a viable enterprise.
A name that carries a legacy
The story of Ndhuna Mabaso Farm is also deeply personal.
Thulani named the farm in honour of his father, who served as a village headman from the 1980s to the early 2000s. The name carries a legacy of leadership, community service and responsibility – values that continue to influence the way Thulani approaches his business.
In many ways, the farm is an extension of that legacy: something built not only for personal success, but with the potential to benefit others.
And that is perhaps what makes Thulani’s journey particularly inspiring.
On World Entrepreneurs’ Day, stories like his are a reminder that entrepreneurship does not always begin with significant resources or a fully formed business plan.
Sometimes, it starts with four crops.
It starts with a willingness to learn, the courage to adapt and the ability to see possibility in what is already around you. It grows through hard work, persistence and a willingness to try something new.
For Thulani, that journey is still unfolding.
From four crops to more than 15, from a handful of plants to approximately 15,000, and from a small-scale farm to an enterprise creating employment, skills and new opportunities, Ndhuna Mabaso Farm is showing what can happen when a good idea is given the opportunity to grow.
And when one entrepreneur grows, the impact can grow with them.
