According to Nkanyezii Group CEO Lebogang Dhludhlu, diversifying South African agricultural enterprises through vertical integration and feed production helps mitigate rising input costs and electricity instabilities. Formerly an electrical engineer at Eskom, Dhludhlu launched the poultry venture on tribal land in 2019 using personal funds, eventually scaling the business into a multi-faceted operation that includes cattle farming, crop production, and the TerraGrain feed mill.
From Electrical Engineering to Agricultural Entrepreneurship
Dhludhlu built her early career as an electrical engineer, earning a diploma and BTech in electrical engineering from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Witbank Campus, alongside a BTech and an honours degree in project management from the University of Pretoria. She later earned a master’s degree in sustainable agriculture from the University of the Free State in 2023 and is currently pursuing her MBA with the Henley Business School.
Drawing on family entrepreneurial roots—her late grandmother Philippine Molahlwa and mother Peggy Medupe were both businesswomen—Dhludhlu transitioned out of her corporate role at Eskom in 2023 to run the agricultural enterprise full-time. Her husband, Isaac Dumsane Dhludhlu, a master millwright who was working for Sasol, joined her full-time shortly thereafter to manage operations alongside her.
Pro Tip: Dhludhlu advises aspiring producers to look beyond basic farming and analyze the entire value chain to identify systemic gaps and solve specific market problems, rather than simply producing what competitors already supply.
Overcoming High Input Costs Through Vertical Integration
To combat steep input expenses, biosecurity risks, and unreliable electricity supplies, Nkanyezii Group adopted a vertically integrated operational model. The development of TerraGrain is aimed at strengthening their feed supply and reducing their dependence on external suppliers, while an abattoir gives them greater control over processing.
Operating on tribal land, the business initially started small with poultry production, selling its very first batch to Dhludhlu’s mother. Once the enterprise proved its operational soundness, it drew interest from agricultural support initiatives and growth grants, enabling the founders to channel earnings back into physical development. Today, the enterprise supplies individual consumers, resellers, local businesses, boarding schools, and day-care centres across Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Did You Know? Alongside core farming and feed production, Dhludhlu has diversified her commercial holdings into real estate, hospitality, and floral retail via the Naledi Flower Boutique and Coffee Shop—featuring branches in Witbank and Bethal—which together sustain a full-time and part-time staff exceeding 100 people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Nkanyezii Group?
Nkanyezii Group was founded by Lebogang Dhludhlu and her husband, Isaac Dumsane Dhludhlu, who run it together, combining their engineering backgrounds and entrepreneurial drive to build an integrated agricultural business.
What sectors does Nkanyezii Group operate in?
The enterprise spans poultry, cattle, and crop farming, alongside feed manufacturing via TerraGrain, an abattoir under construction, property, and hospitality ventures including Naledi Flower Boutique and Coffee Shop.
When did Lebogang Dhludhlu transition to full-time farming?
Dhludhlu resigned from Eskom in 2023 to run the business full-time.
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