There are over 3.5 billion people online and the current marketing reality is that digital is impossible to rule out. No growing business can afford to walk around in the dark without a clear plan to follow and expect to generate successful results. A digital strategy provides the framework your company needs to make the best decisions for strategy development and implementation.
1. Determine Your Customer Base
These are the people who repeatedly purchase the goods or services provided by your business. They may also be called the business’s target market with their behaviours well understood through past experience or thorough market research. They are the main source of revenue of your business.
The foundation of any marketing strategy is a firm understanding of the business’s customer base, including demographics and psychographics. This is integral to successful lead generation and increased conversions.
The better you are at having a clear focus for your target market, the better results you will have by eliminating irrelevant prospects.
Where are your customers?
What channels do they utilize?
Can you be found on those channels, active and engaging with your prospects?
Research what customers are saying about you and your competitors to look for the source of their pain. The best way to understand what the customer is going through is to walk in their shoes. This is really the only way to understand their problems and devise the means to solve these issues. This will also help you to create a plan that offers clients what they need and what your competition is lacking in their own product or service.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What are the problems that my customers have?
What do they need to fix it?
What can I do to resolve the problems or make it better?
3. Define Value To Your Customers Using Unique Value Propositions
A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered. It’s the primary reason a prospect should buy from you. In a nutshell, your value proposition is a clear statement to the customer that is relevant, has quantified value and shows unique differentiation.
Relevancy explains how exactly your product or service solves customers’ problems or improves their situation.
Quantified Value delivers specific benefits of choosing your product or service.
Unique Differentiation tells the ideal customer why they should choose you over the competition.
A well-crafted value proposition ensures conversion optimization and ultimately improves your customer lifetime value.
4. Determine Your Business Goals
The growth goals behind your strategy will move your business forward. By determining how much business you want to generate, you’ll have achievable goals to stay focused.
Some guidelines to goal setting are:
Evaluate your current position and audit current marketing funnels
Set core goals and supporting goals
Create goals to ensure short term wins and long term wins for future growth opportunities
Be specific & realistic with your growth plan
Leverage existing databases & networks
After you have defined projected business outcomes you have to establish lead generation models to achieve set goals. Let’s be honest, without the support of a lead generation strategy, your growth will be sluggish.
5. Get The Right Mix of Digital Marketing Channels
Digital marketing involves many channels that need to be utilized to ensure optimum results. You can’t rely on social media or SEO alone, it simply does not work that way anymore and you would be losing out on the myriad of opportunities that an integrated approach offers.
All digital marketing channels should be designed to work together by:
A targeted SEO strategy that is bolstered by a content marketing plan for improved search rankings and customer engagement.
Using email marketing to generate leads, conversions and re-marketing.
The use of various pipelines to benefit from affiliate marketing.
Implementing inbound marketing to attract viable leads.
The use of online advertising channels, including social media ads to create visibility and encourage direct user engagement
After you have done all of the above, set your budget and give it your all! When setting your digital marketing budget, don’t view it as a cost but an investment that will definitely pay for itself as your business grows due to you reaching your defined goals using digital. When implementing a strategy, do not be afraid to fail and do not become discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. For beginners especially, it may take some trial and error to find the best process to generate the expected results and remember you can always ask an expert.
Whether you create your strategy on your own or you ask an expert, the good news is that through this process, you are creating your own lead generation machine.
Creating the system that works is the hard part but as soon as it is in place…. all it requires is a little maintenance.
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/pablo-27.png5121024super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 19:00:502021-10-04 19:00:505 Steps to Create an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy — Lionesses of Africa
We often hear of ‘first mover advantage’ whereby the first one into a new industry, country or product, the ‘Pathfinder’, has a significant advantage that is not easy to beat. But is that true?
To a certain extent, yes. There is after all a reason we all still talk about “Hoovering our homes” (yet Hoover Inc (formed in 1908) has not been the market leader for years), but to stay at the top (as Hoover did for many decades) is not easy and takes serious effort.
A Pathfinder often spends a great deal of time and money showing the potential market what it is missing and why this new product will transform lives. Once the consumer has woken up to this fact it becomes all too easy for the Pathfinder to wallow in the well earned profits as they pour in, forgetting sadly that it’s not just the consumer they have woken, but the competition too…
Research and Development (‘R&D’) spend has to keep well ahead of the competition, in addition to which, profits must fall as a deterrent to anyone thinking there is large ‘fat’ to be shared or taken…especially as it is so easy these days to reverse engineer products and then build back with a different logo… Patents are often only worth as much as you are willing to throw at a lawyer – just look at how Japan, China and now to a certain extent, India have perfected this ‘copy and improve’ model over the years.
One of the world’s great Pathfinder companies, Motorola, pushed for ages for mobile phones to become something for everyone. Initial concerns were based around size (close to a medium sized handbag in the 1980’s!) and also as so many asked at the time – “Seriously, who really needs to be in constant contact with the office or for that matter, home!”
Fast forward to 2021 and there are now more cell phones in existence than people on this earth and we simply cannot survive without our 24/7 attachment to office and home!
Motorola were serious Pathfinders and during the 1980’s enjoyed success with the business community, who were the only ones who could afford the $4,000 price tag (and the briefcase large enough to carry one of these), but then in the early 1990’s technology took over, phones became smaller and competition exploded. GSM, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Siemens, Sony and Blackberry all got in on the act. Then download speeds increased rapidly with 3G and that’s when Steve Jobs joined in the fun!
All this time Motorola were fighting a costly rear guard action, trying to keep their position in the market, until in 2007 they woke up to find it was all over. In the 4th quarter of 2007 they recorded a loss of US$1.2 billion!
2007? That was the year that Apple released the original iPhone – overnight it was game over and in July 2008, as a final knife blow, a huge number of Motorola executives left to join Apple.
If you have a moment it is well worth watching the great man himself bringing in the quantum leap that was then and still is the iPhone, here. He opens by saying: “This is a day I have been looking forward to for two and a half years…”. The market had been primed, the consumers were all there, trained and ready and all Steve Jobs had to do was turn on the magic…
This future, this belief in ‘what tomorrow could bring’ had been clearly shown by Motorola, and yes, it took ages (and a great deal of money) for the consumer to recognize what was there for them, but once it was recognised the competition took full advantage. Where Motorola saw loyal customers happy to stay in love with them because they were the Pathfinder, their competition saw an opportunity to tear this love apart. Where Motorola assumed this love for their Brand (that was so forward thinking in seeing the future), would last and last, the competition was already planning and providing the future’s future and tormenting Motorola day by day. With the cash bleeding fast, the end was plain for all to see. Even the most die-hard fans madly in love with Motorola finally gave up, recognising the truth.
As with love, so with business and even more so for Pathfinders, this is a two way street with the one you are in a relationship with.
It can never be taken for granted.
What was most interesting was that until Apple and Steve Jobs had the mobile network that could handle their dreams and their own advanced technology, they stayed out of the mobile phone market. Once the technology (which arrived with 3G) had caught up with their dreams, they pounced. Their competition had spent the previous 10-15 years battling it out whilst moving the technology forward inch by inch in a costly war, and so by the time Apple jumped in, the competition was not only exhausted but most importantly the market was ready, they had become accustomed to carrying a mobile device, the technology had reduced the size and everyone had become used to being in touch with the office and home.
This was carefully mapped out timing, not luck.
Just as with that famous story of Churchill being discovered by his Valet practicing in front of the mirror the evening before a large parliamentary debate and saying out loud to the mirror: “I was not expecting to speak today, only to listen, but I feel compelled by the arguments I have heard thus far to say that I simply cannot agree and so will…”, so it was with Steve Jobs. Nothing was left to chance.
This is Timing, this is not ‘Luck’.
The computer market opened, he made it cool with the Mac.
Sony created the Walkman, he improved and blew the competition away with the iPod.
Motorola brought the mobile phone to the masses and the rest is history…
When asked about success in business (here), Sir Richard Branson answered: “People often equate success with luck, but it usually comes down to impeccable [and carefully mapped out] timing. Staying ahead of the curve; predicting market conditions; spotting opportunities before they arise; and forecasting the wider economic, social and technological landscape cannot be underestimated when starting a business.”
Well that sounds easy!
Luckily he translates this into something that us mere mortals can understand: “…the most important thing to remember is that the best time to go into a new business is when it’s being run badly by others.”
Worth repeating:
“…the most important thing to remember is that the best time to go into a new business is when it’s being run badly by others.”
Do not worry about being first, worry about being the best, something that Sir Richard has shown. From his selling the Tubular Bells album by Mike Oldfield from the back of his car as young man to attack the comfy record companies and in doing do creating Virgin Records, to the wonderful story of how he started Virgin Atlantic:
His flight from Puerto Rico to the British Virgin Islands was grounded leaving him unable to join his girlfriend who he’d been away from for over three weeks. For mere mortals we would perhaps retire to the nearest hotel and dig into a decent meal with a glass of wine, he instead recognised that there might be a better way to do this and so (hoping his credit card would handle it!), he leased a plane, calculated his breakeven point, found a blackboard and chalk, wrote in capitals: ‘Virgin Airways’ and below that “$39 one way to BVI” and offered this to all his fellow stranded passengers…
That was the first ever Virgin Airways (soon called Virgin Atlantic) flight. He saw a comfy industry and although bad luck created that first flight, he was nimble, grabbed the opportunity and turned it into good luck. When the plane landed in the BVI one of the passengers told him “Sharpen up the service bit and you could be in the airline business”, and so the legend began…
As far as service goes, many years later on a Virgin flight to Johannesburg, we actually got to chat to the great man himself as he took a tour of the plane in the middle of the night. Here was the legend taking a bit of time to just have a chat with his customers (those that were still awake). It’s the small things that make all the difference to customer loyalty and love of the Brand. As he says: “I’ve always said that if you don’t have time for the small things, you won’t have time for the big things.”
Here’s Sir Richard again:
“It’s also important to remember that good timing is less about speed, and more about being in sync…You don’t make your best decisions when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, and you won’t have the capacity to spot new opportunities and think creatively…
All in all, timing is everything in business and in life. If you’re feeling close to burnout, it’s time to slow down. If you’re feeling inspired, don’t be afraid to pick up the pace. In all instances, try to be as observant, agile and open-minded as possible, you’ll be in a much better place to say yes when the right opportunity comes your way.”
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/pablo-29.png5121024super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 15:54:122021-10-04 15:54:12Timing is everything! — Lionesses of Africa
A highly personal and beautiful new collection of wearable art pieces has been launched by Burundi based designer, Margaux Rusita, founder of Margaux Wong. This new collection of wearable art pieces, Joy, celebrates strength & delight in two exciting capsules: Daisy & Veronica. Joy is named after and dedicated to designer Margaux Rusita’s mother, Joy Edlyn Frank Wong, who, this year, transitioned after an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Joy also battled mental health illness for many years. Being a beautifully gifted artist herself, Joy provided the love, inspiration and fighting spirit which Margaux today embodies.
The Daisy capsule, inspired by one of nature’s happiest and most resilient flowers, features daisy-shaped and abstracted petal-based designs in the brand’s signature horn and brass combination. Highlights include its large scale rings with bright white carved horn petals surrounding polished brass discs, and jewel-like headbands featuring bursts of carved petals. From bangle chokers to daisy chain belts and even a horn & brass bralette piece, there’s something boldly beautiful for every woman’s lifestyle. Geometric shapes and cosmic wonder define the Veronica capsule, a curated range of pieces that matches the Daisy capsule’s versatility & range of styles. Those who appreciate both simplicity and drama in striking pieces will find something to love in the Veronica capsule. Discover diamond shapes embedded in polished brass triptych designs on bangles, earrings and necklaces, and presented as scattered constellations across bib & collar necklaces with orbit-like strands.
So, what makes the Joy collection different? Across both the Daisy & Veronica artwear pieces, the classic tension of a black & white palette evokes timeless beauty and brings designs to life. Design inspiration came partly from the 1930s, an era of whimsical fashion with a delicate expression of femininity. The ‘30s carried the Great Depression, one of the world’s darkest ages, and also carried the blossoming of jazz, the blues and the art deco style. The 1930s were, like this collection, a living juxtaposition of melancholy and joy.
About Margaux Wong
Amazonian low-waste values meet precious East African materials diverted from a waste-bound path at Margaux Wong, an artisanal luxury jewellery and accessories brand founded in 2000 by Margaux Rusita, creating treasurable, distinctive artwear.
Research into underutilized local materials is how the brand developed a distinct perspective on the beauty & potential of polished cow horn and recycled (or upcycled) brass. Once Margaux found artisans who could craft with these, the focus turned to developing a design approach that empowered workers and generated as little waste as possible. Left-over brass from previous collections furnishes new pieces, and workers receive fair wages and a healthy working environment.
Margaux Wong has launched its new Joy collection on JOOR.COM, the world’s premier digital platform for wholesale management. JOOR delivers global accessibility, seamless order management, and real-time insights, allowing brands to sell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Speaking about her aspirations for the launch of the new Joy collection, Margaux Rusita says, “We hope to have this collection available across the globe marketplace and also in our webshop for 2022. For wholesale buyers, the Joy Collection is now available on JOOR.COM.”
Speaking at a more personal level, Margaux says, “This Collection is very dear and special to me. I began designing it while my mother Joy, who this Collection is inspired by and dedicated to, was still with us. I am so happy that she was able to know how loved she was and that her memory and essence can be shared through this collection.”
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Margaux-Wong-Collage.jpg7501500super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 12:21:272021-10-04 12:21:27Lioness Launch / Burundi-based Margaux Wong launches its beautiful new Joy collection of wearable art pieces — Lionesses of Africa
NoterKo specializes in customer service quality evaluation, data collection and capacity building. In 2018, we launched a platform where users can rate the quality of the customer service for private and public companies. The objective is to allow the clients to give feedback and see what other users think about the customer service of a company. It will help the company to collect data to measure their customer’s satisfaction.
What inspired you to start your company?
My partner Nancy and I really wanted to make a difference in the population’s well-being. We both had a lot of bad experiences regarding customer service here in Senegal. In 2009, I got sick and bad customer service almost killed me when I had to go to the hospital. The customer service was just terrible. I was lucky because there are many stories of patients who died because they were poorly managed by the doctors or the health agents. The poor customer service is spread in all the fields: banks, restaurants, health, insurance, transportation, etc. So we wanted to tackle this problem by allowing clients to rate and give comments. That way the companies will see their ratings and improve the quality of their customer service to have a better reputation from the customers.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our platform is the first online platform to rate customer service in west Africa. For the first time, users can easily evaluate companies and give comments.
Tell us a little about your team
We have a wonderful team made up of people who are very talented. Our common goal is our desire to make our contribution to the development of our country and improve people’s lives by using technology.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
We started working on the NoterKo idea in 2017. We submitted our project to a national agency specializing in funding women and young people to help them create their company. We were selected and obtained a fund which helped us to create the company NoterKo and started our activities. The journey was not easy due to the challenging business environment and also because our product is quite new in the market.
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NoterKo-Collage.jpg7501500super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 08:52:492021-10-04 08:52:49Rokhaya Diop, an entrepreneur building a new approach to customer service evaluation in Senegal — Lionesses of Africa
Our team is composed of 5 women and 6 men. All of them passionate about fashion. What is amazing to me is that most of them are self-made people who have never been to fashion school or even finished high-school. They just love what they do and believe in the company and the brand.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I am an economist by training but passionate about fashion. I have always been an entrepreneur because I think that the only way to make a change in this world is to do it yourself without having an expectation of anybody. Moreover, I firmly believe that Africa has a lot offer to the world, so I feel like I have to help the continent prove it … in fashion.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
It is to be the African reference point for high-end, traditional-modern fashion for women within the next 5 years.
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SARAYAA-Collage.jpg7501500super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 05:47:072021-10-04 05:47:07Safietou Seck, a fashion entrepreneur from Senegal blending African and Western cultures in her designs — Lionesses of Africa
The Blind History podcast is a crash course in getting to know history’s greatest men and women – and by great that doesn’t always mean good. In this series, hosted by Gareth Cliff and Anthony Mederer, and sign language interpreted by Thuli Zikalala of Yellow Owl, the team shares the details the history books sometimes leave out – the less well-known details, some of the stuff they didn’t teach you at school. Each person helps to put a piece of the puzzle in place, and bring history to life.
Thuli Zikalala is a well-known face in the Lionesses of Africa community, recognised for her sign language interpretation at the Lioness Lean In events in South Africa, helping deaf women entrepreneurs to fully participate in the event experience. This latest award recognizes her talent and the valuable work her company, Yellow Owl, does to empower greater access to good content for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ScreenShot2021-10-03at8.25.20PM.png8391500super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-04 02:41:562021-10-04 02:41:56Thuli Zikalala and Yellow Owl win recognition at the New Generation Digital Awards — Lionesses of Africa
OH SH*T, I’m in Sales? An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Making Sales Your BFF by Susan Trumpler, solves a problem that is very easy to understand. Women entrepreneurs do not go into business because they have been dreaming of being a sales professional, right? They go into business because they are passionate about helping people and have amazing products or programs they want to put out into the world. But the problem is that if they don’t make friends with sales, they won’t have a business. End. Of. Story.
In her book, OH SH*T, I’m in Sales?: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Making Sales Your BFF, Susan Trumpler knows what is standing in women entrepreneurs’ way when it comes to selling. She believes it’s simple! Based on their life experiences, what they have seen and heard, they have a very specific perspective of what it means to be “sold” to. And they don’t like it. This perspective becomes their sales blueprint and it stands in the way of their achieving success in generating revenue for their business.
But Susan believes it doesn’t have to be that way. In her book, OH SH*T, I’m in Sales?: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Making Sales Your BFF, Susan takes the reader on a journey from dreading the thought of sales, to making it their newest BFF. Resetting your sales blueprint is easy when you use the 5-step process Susan introduces you to that will have you becoming a revenue generating machine in no time at all!
Author Quotes
I love sharing my experience, shortcuts, and strategies with women entrepreneurs.
I didn’t want to limit this type of sales intel to only the biggest companies. Why not combine everything I’ve learned over the years into something that would make a difference for women entrepreneurs?
For decades, I helped Fortune 500 organizations make more money. I know what works and what doesn’t. I’ve owned and operated a sales research company. I know the ins and outs of the sales process.
About the Author
Susan Trumpler, the founder of Unstoppable Women in Business, is an international speaker, coach, podcaster and author. She dedicates her time and efforts to eradicating the phrase “I hate sales” from the vocabulary of women business owners. The Success Collaborative – her flagship, hybrid coaching program is her pride and joy. In the Collaborative, she focuses her time on co-creating customized Success Roadmaps for each member and then invites them into an intimate community of like-minded peers to implement their plans and watch their revenues soar.
If there is one phrase we probably hear more than any other when speaking to women entrepreneurs in our network, it’s that they hate sales. They know it is the fundamental building block of building a great business, but for so many women, selling doesn’t come naturally. Some women even find the process of selling overwhelming, stressful, and downright unpleasant. So help is at hand in this great new book by Susan Trumpler. It provides a practical guide to getting better at selling and also more importantly, enjoying the process, eventually getting good at it. If you are a hesitant salesperson in your business but want to become a great one, then this is a great read for you. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.png00super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-03 23:32:132021-10-03 23:32:13OH SH*T, I’m in Sales?: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Making Sales Your BFF by Susan Trumpler
Lioness Weekender chatted to Mayleen Kyster Nduli to learn more about her pioneering entrepreneurial journey in Africa’s tough steel and metals sector, and her aspirations for the future.
What does your company do?
Africa Steel Holdings is a boutique investment holding company with interest across the steel and metals value-chain.
What inspired you to start your company?
Office politics.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
We are 100 % women-owned and led.
Tell us a little about your team
My team are mostly male in operations and female in administration. I hope to facilitate the transition to more females on the production floor and vice versa.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I am not born into an entrepreneurial family. I am not only part of the first generations of entrepreneurs in our family, but still the only entrepreneur by choice in our family. My entrepreneurial journey in the steel and metals sector was pre-destined. I say this for the following reason. Whilst completing my final year of full-time study towards a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting I was also quite frantically applying for articles at any of the top 5 auditing firms. Surprisingly it was an off the chance single application to a graduate program at Steel Mill that responded promptly and invited me to an interview. Upon my arrival I was told that there were at least 300 candidates who formed part of the selection process. I was so disapproving of the environment anyway I was secretly praying that they would not choose me. Back then environmental laws were underdeveloped and even the offices were dark and gloomy from the air pollution that darkened the windows from outside. This was certainly not the image I had created in my mind of what my career would be like. I was looking forward to a beautiful, clean, and professional looking workspace and more especially to finally afford to buy the suits and heels I had envisioned myself in after graduation. Needless to say, I was one of 7 candidates chosen for the graduate program at the steel mill.
It was during a tour of the steel mill that I saw steel in its raw form, blazing hot, liquid and gold. It changed my view on the industry and I was surprised at how privileged I felt to be one of a few females to get the exposure that I received both in steel-making but across all the other business units which make the delivery of steel to clients possible. 10 years later and in a senior executive position I found myself very unhappy in the industry I loved so much. The politics in the workplace was difficult for me to manage and I struggled to be pretentious to get ahead which was in my view the only way to impress the boss. Three months after being unemployed I founded Africa Steel Holdings. We started off supplying steel to power stations throughout South Africa and acquiring stakes in businesses who supplied us. Our business model is to supply steel to projects and we continue to do so. Our value proposition being a one-stop shop steel merchant for primary steel as well as manufactured and fabricated steel based on my reputation in the industry and also the fact that I am an expert in how our industry functions and its capability. I am able to advise my clients, as well as negotiate the best deals.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I hope to increase our investment portfolio across more niche metals as well as across the value chain from mining all the way up. I hope to facilitate the placement of more women into my beloved industry through these investments and ensure their rise in these entities.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Being in control of and ultimately managing my own time is the ultimate luxury for me. I would choose this over and over again over the security of employment. I am a full-time and hands on mom whilst managing the career of my dreams. I love interacting with my business partners and learning from them, each with a unique way of doing things. I solve complex issues rather than do monotonous tasks in a job. To remain relevant to my clients and partners I need to be creative and embrace change.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Reduce as much of your debt as possible given your unique circumstances, then start. Start right where you are. Start with what you have. Grow organically doing little tasks exceptionally.
https://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Mayleen-Kyster-Nduli-Collage.jpg7501500super-adminhttps://nileharvest.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/logo.pngsuper-admin2021-10-03 16:39:422021-10-03 16:39:42Mayleen Kyster Nduli, an entrepreneurial pioneer of Africa’s steel industry — Lionesses of Africa
Praveen Dwarika, managing director of AFGRI’s Lemang Agricultural Services is back in the African Farming studio with presenter Bathabile Modutoane. This week the pair discuss the importance of succession planning.
Despite limited resources, Goodman Ginyigazi and Columbus Solani have faced the challenge of farming on communal land head-on. Thanks to their determination, the two farmer friends are making waves in the wool industry and proving that communal farmers can achieve commercial success. Peter Mashala found out more.
Nothing is impossible if you love what you do and you believe in it. In April this year, communal wool farmers Goodman Ginyigazi of Arizona Ezinhle Merino Stud and Columbus Dumisani Solani of Sky Merino Stud, both from the Cacadu district near Queenstown, Eastern Cape, were admitted as members of Merino SA. Despite the hardships that come with farming on communal land, these two farmers have improved their wool quality and their flock genetics consistently, winning numerous awards in the process.
“You have to be passionate about your work and you must have the kind of faith that moves mountains,” says Goodman, who has been farming sheep on communal land for 17 years. He was the recipient of the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform’s award for Best Communal Fine Wool Clip of the Year for five consecutive years (2009 to 2013). Goodman farms in Agnes Rest, whereas Columbus is in Mantyantya near Lady Frere. The two villages, both outside Queenstown, are separated by a narrow mountainous strip.
FRIENDS AND MENTORS
“I met Goodman through a mutual friend in 2014 when I moved my farming operation from Stutterheim to Lady Frere,” recalls Columbus. “I had just bought 24 Dohne merino sheep. We’ve been friends since then and he’s mentored me.”
Switching from Dohne merinos to pure merinos, Columbus says, came about through Goodman’s teachings and coaching. The latter’s success in quality wool production motivated Columbus to follow his mentor’s example and in 2018 he sold his 83 Dohnes and changed over to merinos.
“There is nothing wrong with Dohne merinos. In fact, they are the best dual-purpose sheep and the breed of choice for farmers who produce meat and wool,” he emphasises. “But my goal is to produce quality wool, not so much to participate in the meat market.” He bought 40 young Merino ewes from Stefan Naude of Geelbek Elite Merinos in Noupoort, Northern Cape, and an additional 15 sheep from JJ Pienaar in Colesberg. “Goodman had introduced me to these farmers,” Columbus adds.
Over to Goodman, who explains that he started visiting commercial wool farmers when he decided to focus on producing quality wool. These farmers taught him that merinos produced better quality wool for a longer time compared with Dohnes. “I also learned this from my friend Webster Mbikile, an animal health technician who works for the Eastern Cape department of agriculture.”
On a mission to improve his flock’s genetics, Goodman started crossing Dohne merino ewes with merino rams. “I bought merino stud rams from reputable breeders to put to my Dohne merino ewes as a way of improving the genetics,” he says.
Unfortunately, this method did not work, as Dohne merino genetics are not easily influenced. So in 2009 he started replacing his sheep with merinos. That year he won his first award. “I sheared about 120 sheep and got about R17 000 for 500kg of wool,” he says.
Goodman’s consistent performance meant that he dominated most provincial wool growers’ competitions between 2009 to 2013. He credits this to Stefan and JJ, as well as Pieter Cloete of Pinegrove Merino Stud in Dordrecht and Andries Pienaar of Trumps Merino Stud in Hanover.
“These guys, the Queenstown-based state vet Dr Alan Fisher, and Webster carried me through with their support and advice. I bought top rams and ewes from them to build my flock,” he explains. “Every visit was like a mini-workshop packed with information.”
When his ewes are brought down off the mountain a month before lambing, Columbus Solani feeds them a ration of fattening pellets, protein blocks and salt, and administers Multimin injections to ensure they are in good condition for lambing.
Goodman is very proud of the award
he received from the Eastern Cape’s
Department of Rural Development and
Agrarian Reform five years in a row for
the excellent quality of his fine wool.
Wool to make any merino farmer excited.
MOVING TO THE MOUNTAIN
Maintaining good genetics and a larger flock comes with its own challenges for a communal farmer. By 2019, Goodman and Columbus had successfully transformed their flocks to pure merinos of more than 300 animals each.
“To keep the flock clean means your animals should not mix with other people’s,” says Goodman. Many attempts over the years to get government help to secure their own farms had failed. This led to an unconventional decision to move and set up their operations on top of the surrounding mountains, where they could eliminate the risk of having their flocks contaminated.
The communal grazing was fast becoming insufficient for their growing flocks, so the move meant more grazing and less competition too. “We also avoided the risk of disease outbreaks, because not all farmers dose and vaccinate their animals,” Goodman says. Most communal areas in the Eastern Cape are overpopulated with livestock because almost every household has animals.
“Due to the economic downturn, many people have lost their jobs, especially on the mines. Many of them come back and use their pension payouts to start farming sheep,” Columbus adds. Drawing on his knowledge from his younger days as a cattle and goat herder, he knew the grazing potential on top of the mountain. “There is plenty of clean water and grass, and the place looks like a real farm.”
Columbus occupies the northern part whereas Goodman uses the southern side. Although Columbus has not formally measured the area, he estimates his portion to be between 200ha and 300ha. “The only challenge is lack of proper infrastructure, including a decent road up the mountain. It is a struggle to get there,” he says.
“It takes about an hour or so to get there on foot.” On the plus side, the friends say, the lack of development has deterred others from using the mountaintop area for grazing. “Everyone would be grazing their animals there by now if there was infrastructure,” says Goodman. “Because we love what we are doing, we must persevere in farming this way.”
EASE OF MANAGEMENT
Ewes and weaned lambs stay on the mountain while rams and lactating ewes are kept at home in kraals. Seasonal breeding is done by creating groups of manageable sizes. At breeding, says Goodman, the ewes are divided into groups of 50 or 60, depending on the number of ewes available for breeding.
“I bring the ewes home to prepare them 30 days before I put the rams in. I flush feed them for a month and inject them with Multimin for more trace minerals,” he says. Goodman believes the body condition of ewes must score between 3 and 4 for optimal reproductive status. “A body condition score of less than 2.5 (too thin) or more than 4 (too fat) is not good,” he explains.
Providing trace minerals and vitamins A and E four weeks before mating has a positive effect on fertility. Flush feeding three weeks before mating, according to Goodman, keeps their weight at an acceptable level and has a positive influence on conception rate. He feeds 250g per ewe of home-prepared mix every morning.
Once the ewes are prepared, the rams are put in for 21 to 30 days. “I use between four and six rams on a group of 50 to 60 ewes. This is between 10 and 15 ewes per ram to ensure optimal performance from the rams,” explains Goodman. The ewes are taken back to the mountains once they have scanned positive for pregnancy.
At the beginning of their fifth month, the ewes are brought home. They are worked in groups for management ease during the lambing period and to bring down extra feeding costs during pregnancy and after lambing. “The lambing period is labour intensive: at 4am you’re in the kraal checking that there are no lambing issues,” explains Columbus.
That’s why he feels group numbers must be manageable. When his ewes come down from the mountain a month before lambing, they are supplemented to maintain good body condition and to produce enough milk and wool. They are scanned to see how many lambs they are carrying so that rations can be tweaked according to individual ewe needs. “I feed fattening pellets, protein blocks and salt, and I inject with Multimin,” explains Columbus.
“If there is no money for pellets, I feed crushed yellow maize and SS200.” For milk production, a mix of crushed yellow maize, Maxiwol, molasses meal, SS200 and salt works well, he says. Ewes carrying a single lamb get 250g while those carrying twins get between 350g and 400g, depending on condition. Once the lambs are weaned at four months, the ewes are taken back to the mountain.
The rest of the flock receive supplements only in the form of phosphate and protein licks and blocks, season dependent, because of the good grazing on the mountain.
There is no road up to the mountain camps where Goodman runs his sheep, so he makes use of a stocky pony as the best means of transport in this steep, rugged terrain.
Free of other flocks and their diseases, the mountaintop camps provide relative safety for the sheep. There is also abundant food – forbs (plants that are not grasses) contribute to the diversity of the grazing and are often sought out by the animals.
KEEPING FLOCKS HEALTHY
Both farmers follow an animal health protocol developed for them by Dr Fisher. “We dose quarterly and vaccinate annually, especially for blue tongue, a disease that is caused by biting insects and results in sheep mortalities,” says Columbus. They also vaccinate against pulpy kidney. The area has a serious problem with red lice. The flocks are dipped every two weeks using Zipdip, and Cydectin is injected to control sheep scab.
In January, a peak time for worms, they dose with Valbantel or inject with Dectomax. These products help to control roundworm, lungworm, milk tapeworm, liver fluke and nasal worm. “They also prevent roundworm eggs from hatching,” Columbus says. The lambs are dewormed every two weeks because they are easily affected by worms. “I use Lintex for the one-month-olds and Valbantel or Prodose Orange for the two-month-olds. Cydectin, Dectomax and UniDose are rotated every three months to discourage product resistance.
Registering as stud breeders was the logical step after the two farmers had improved wool quality. The focus is now on genetic improvement. “For two consecutive years I’ve managed to get the highest price for wool per kilogram and this has motivated me – so much so that I want to compete at a higher level. We want to be in the elite breeding class and bring some of the best genes to the market,” he says.
“I also want to start contributing to the development of other black farmers by producing quality rams and ewes for them.” According to him, there aren’t many black merino breeders in the Eastern Cape, especially not those supplying the communal markety. The result is that the increasing demand for genetics to improve wool quality from ever more communal farmers, can’t be met.
The wool business is seasonal. “As you grow in the industry, your needs grow. It is imperative that we maximise income to remain profitable,” Columbus explains. This made diversification a necessity. He selected 15 young rams from the flock two years ago to supply the local communal market with breeding material.
“The rams didn’t even last two weeks on the market,” he recalls. Wool producers on communal land are always on the lookout for quality rams. Many communal farmers do not have access to commercial farmers who happen to be far from their communities. “Making quality rams available to them makes good business sense,” explains Columbus. He has sold more than 40 merino rams.
“I’ve sold 11 rams to farmers in Mount Fletcher, on the way to Durban. This shows how people are willing to travel and pay for good quality. Goodman and I have travelled far and wide, particularly in the Northern Cape, where you find the top brass of merinos, and that is how we succeed.”
Columbus says their decidion to produce rams was also motivated by what they’ve witnessed during production auctions. “I’ve seen farmers like Robert Rubidge of Wellwood in Graaff-Reinet selling his ram for a whopping R220 000. JJ Pienaar from Colesberg recently sold a ram for R177 000,” says Columbus.
“We look to these guys as our role models and buy some of our rams from them. This shows how seriously we are taking our business,” Goodman adds. In addition, Goodman and Columbus grow and fatten wethers and older ewes for the December-holiday meat rush. People who are coming home for the holidays provide a good market as they buy a lot of sheep for year-end festivities.
FARMER BACKGROUND – COLUMBUS SOLANI
In 1993, after working in the mines in Mpumalanga for 10 years, Columbus Solani returned to his home village of Mantyantya to be closer to his family. He applied and was then hired for the position of traffic officer in Queenstown in 1994.
In 1997 he was transferred to Stutterheim, about 70km outside East London, where he is now based. In 2004, Columbus started farming cattle part-time to augment his salary. He bought two heifers and ran them on his friend’s farm in Stutterheim. By 2009, four years later, he had grown his herd to 52 heads. During this time, Columbus met several farmers who tried to persuade him to take up sheep farming.
“I didn’t really buy into that immediately,” he recalls. But a spike in stock theft in Stutterheim that saw him almost losing his precious bull was enough to drive him out of cattle farming. “The theft was so bad, thieves were brutally killing and stealing cattle at a shocking rate,” recalls Columbus.
“That was when I decided to get out. I sold all the cattle and decided to go into sheep farming.” He set up his new venture at home in Mantyantya in 2014. At that stage he had 23 Dohne merinos. And then he was introduced to Goodman Ginyigazi. “It was the beginning of our friendship and brought a revolution to my sheep farming business,” says Columbus.
“The idea to switch from Dohne merinos to pure merinos came from his teaching and coaching.” Convinced by Goodman’s success in the wool trade, Columbus transformed his own flock and switched to merino too. “The quality fleece from Goodman’s sheep won him a few awards and I decided to sell off my 83 Dohnes to buy pure merinos,” Columbus recalls. He says selling off those sheep was easy, because they were in such good condition.
Today Columbus’s Sky Merino Stud flock comprises 50 ewes and he has 160 ewes in his commercial flock. This growth has come from the 40 merino ewes he bought in 2018.
FARMER BACKGROUND – GOODMAN GINYIGAZI
Award-winning wool producer and Merino breeder Goodman Xolani Ginyigazi was born and raised in Agnes Rest. He was exposed to sheep farming at an early age: part of his daily duties was to take care of his father’s nine sheep after school and during the holidays.
For a long time farming was not in his future plans, but that changed when Goodman went to Ntsonkotha Senior Secondary School in Agnes Rest and met agricultural teacher Ernst Sonko. “He opened my eyes because of his passion for the subject. He encouraged my interest,” says Goodman. After matric, he went to the Free State to work in the mines for five years. Then he returned to study teaching at Lumko College of Education in Lady Frere in the early 1990s.
When his father passed away, he took over his small flock of 18 sheep. “I began working as a teacher in 1994 and started buying sheep locally to grow the flock.” As his flock grew, so did his eagerness to learn more. “I started visiting sheep farmers and learned about wool production,” says Goodman. One vital lesson was to improve the sheep breed.
The local sheep, according to him, were a mix of everything. He was advised to get Dohne merinos for wool and meat production. “I sold off the sheep I had and started buying Dohnes.” In his second year as a teacher, Goodman bought 60 young Dohne merino ewes and a ram with his bonus. This set him on a new path in wool production. By 2009 his flock had grown to 120 sheep. The wool quality and quantity improved, but not to a standard he was satisfied with.
“After my own research and meeting more farmers, I was told about the potential of pure merinos. I then started my transformational journey from Dohne merinos to pure merinos.” He has since established Arizona Ezinhle Merino Stud, with about 60 stud ewes and six rams. His commercial flock is standing at 130 ewes.
