Busiswa Maya looks at the two impressive awards that sit on a table next to the egg-sorter with a wry smile: both are from the department of agriculture and rural development (DARD) in Gauteng, and they show that she has twice been honoured as 1st runner-up, once as Female Farmer of the Year in 2006, and once as Agri-business Woman of the Year in 2010. “I never got things like this when I was a teacher,” she muses. “There were no incentives.”
Busi Maya and her husband Neto were both teachers before they became farmers. Born and educated in Vanderbijlpark, Maya went to the University of the North to qualify as a teacher of English and history. She was promoted to head of department for languages in her school; she enjoyed getting involved in debating and earned a certificate as one of the best history teachers in her district. She was even asked to assist with dysfunctional schools, helping their teachers out on Saturdays.
Why then, after 10 successful years teaching, would she give up a steady job to become an egg farmer? “There is a lot of stress in being a teacher — especially at this time of year,” says Busi. Her new role offers her control of her working life and an evident sense of contentment.
Neto Maya had a dream of being a farmer, and he resigned first, eventually finding a plot to lease just outside Vanderbijlpark — the owner had stopped farming due to ill-health. In 2004, Busi resigned her post to join him — the start of a success story that would surprise none of her teaching colleagues, who all acknowledged that she was one of the hardest workers and most conscientious teachers. But it certainly surprised many other people.
“There was plenty of sexism, plenty of ‘What do women want in a man’s world?'” she says. “Sometimes when I would phone to ask for quotations, they would want to speak to my husband. I’d say, speak to me, I’m a farmer, I know what I want.” She smiles. “But I can manage men. I just ignore what they say; it’s part of the game. I keep cool and talk to them nicely. After a time, they understand — and then it’s ‘Where’s Busi, we want to talk to Busi!'” she laughs.
Impressive operation
Busi and Neto are running a small operation when you compare it to the major egg producers, but there’s no doubt they are a significant size with a significant output. They have 11 000 layers that produce close to 11 000 eggs aday (some hens, Busi points out, are barren, so the output will always be a dozen-odd eggs less than the number of hens). They buy layers ‘at the point of lay’, as the saying goes (so they’re fortunate in not having to deal with chicks or the controversial part of the business, culling male chicks), and keep them for a year. After that, they are sold on for slaughter. “It’s a cycle,” Busi explains. “We buy new layers every month and sell old ones.”
As is true for all who sink their hopes into a farming venture, in the early days the Mayas had a few struggles. Their biggest battle was to ensure they could stay on their plot. The owner decided to sell the land, but they were unable to buy it and, at the same time, the rent was eating into their profits and limiting their ability to expand.
Then the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS) was implemented in 2006, a land reform initiative in terms of which the state buys the land and leases it to the tenants. PLAS is a programme that the department of rural development and Land Reform developed to assist emergent farmers. With support from the department of rural development and land reform, their plot became a part of the PLAS programme, relieving them of the burden of high lease costs.
The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), which offers support tobeneficiaries of land reform ranging from training in IT to infrastructure, helped the Mayas build better facilities for their hens and fence the plot. DARD also helped them to acquire a sorting machine, imported from the Netherlands. The operation has an excellent network of markets: they sell to supermarkets and butcheries in Vanderbijlpark, and they have distributors who go as far as the Free State.
One woman comes in from Mozambique weekly to buy their eggs. The people in surrounding townships, such as Boipatong and Sharpeville, appreciate the good prices. “The department of agriculture in Gauteng helped us to secure tenders for supplying eggs to hospitals, including Chris Hani Baragwanath, Rahima Moosa, Charlotte Mxenge, Helen Joseph and South Rand,” she says.
Busi has big plans for the future. She’s not aiming to go up against the big shots in egg production, she says, “But in the Vaal Triangle we would like to dominate because many people have confidence in us.” The demand is rising: “We get calls from all over — as far as the East Rand –from people looking for a source of quality eggs.”
New project uses old skills
Many of the skills she learned in teaching have proven useful in this new life, says Busi, especially patience and an ability to organise and plan. “Be patient, plan thoroughly, do thorough research and consult people who have been in the field for a long time”, she says. She consults constantly with many of her predecessors in the business, and in turn passes on her knowledge to newbies who ask for advice. Human management skills are vital. “You must know how to make your staff happy, by giving them little incentives and motivating them. Sometimes I’m a social worker, sometimes I’m a teacher, sometimes a nurse, a doctor, a psychologist.”
The Mayas employ seven people full time, with two casual staff who are called in when needed. One of the staff is an ex-convict. “People said we were taking a risk, that we would not know how to handle this. But it’s a way of rehabilitating convicts into the community. He’s actually doing very well.”
Busi and Neto have retained the teachers’ instincts to help and advise, and, says Busi, “Women have a special eye, don’t they? We can see when something is wrong and we’re always willing to help.”
So Busi still coaches Grade 12 learners at night when they need help. She gives eggs to township families she knows who are battling, and as summer approaches, the Mayas will plant spinach and cabbage to give away. She is also a trained sangoma, and much of her weekend is taken up with helping people. She is, says Busi, a happy woman who has found a good fit in her new role as a farmer.
“Now I am my own boss, I can do things my own way. When I see a problem, I don’t have to ask permission, or be told there’s no protocol for that, I can just jump in and do what’s necessary.” Neto was the one who started the operation and “I came here to support him. ”He was surprised when things happened this way [that Busi became such a successful and acclaimed farmer], but he supports me so much. ”He is my pillar of strength. You know what they say? Behind every successful woman, there’s a man!”