Nonopa Tenza is using agripreneurship to drive rural development and job creation in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.
Nonopa Tenza, founder and managing director of Kevinot Farming, is an agripreneur working to revive agricultural productivity and create employment in the rural Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Her work is deeply rooted in professional experience, community focus, and a commitment to sustainable rural development.
From corporate finance to farming.
Before venturing into agriculture, Nonopa Tenza built a career in corporate and investment banking, working in both South Africa and Scotland. She holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Dundee. In 2021, she decided to leave the corporate sector to focus full-time on farming, a transition she describes as a deliberate step towards restoring family heritage and contributing to her community’s economic growth.
Kevinot Farming was established in 2017 on land that her late father-in-law had cultivated. After his passing, the land was left idle, mirroring a broader challenge facing many rural areas struggling with underutilised farmland and unemployment. Tenza saw potential in reviving the property and initially ran the farm as a side venture before committing to it fully.
Based in the Matatiele area, Kevinot Farming operates as a mixed farming enterprise focusing on maize, sugar beans, lucerne, and teff grasses, alongside sheep and cattle rearing. This combination, Tenza explains, was chosen to align with local environmental conditions and to balance food production with economic sustainability.
Supporting local livelihoods.
The farm employs full-time workers and provides seasonal employment to up to 40 people during planting and harvesting seasons. Some seasonal employees are compensated partly in maize or beans, which they can sell within their communities. This model has enabled small-scale trading and contributed to local income circulation.
Beyond its own operations, Kevinot Farming provides mechanisation services while assisting neighbouring smallholder farmers in accessing markets. Tenza says this support helps strengthen local agricultural value chains and reduces barriers faced by small-scale producers.
Recognition and growth plans.
Her company, Kevinot Farming, has received national recognition. In 2022, the enterprise was honoured with the Presidential Award for Rural-Based SMME of the Year. The following year, Nonopa Tenza was named Female Commercial Farmer of the Year for the Alfred Nzo District, MTN Jumpstarter Winner, UN FAO Women SME Graduate, AWIEF Agri Entrepreneur, to mention a few.
Looking ahead, Tenza aims to expand Kevinot Farming’s operations. Her goal is to develop a vertically integrated agricultural value chain by moving into secondary production through processing the farm’s outputs. This approach aims to enhance profitability and generate additional employment opportunities.
Nonopa Tenza remains focused on using agriculture as a tool for empowerment. Her venture is proof of how small and medium-sized enterprises in rural South Africa are contributing to local food security and economic resilience.
