19 Oct 2017

The Bolikwe family’s passion for small stock farming has made them one of North East district game changers in goat farming.
A tour around their farm in Botalaote gives one conviction that passion can catapult what started as a hobby to a business model.

Having started their goat farming in 2014 with only 31 goats, the couple explained how it all begun.
Ms Juliet Bolikwe said this project came about after realising that they were spending too much on meat hence decided to retain their stock so that it expands.

She indicated that above everything, the idea to expand was driven by passion therefore it was self- funded.
"We love goats, hence our business is successful and thriving, we are not doing it for money but passion," she said.

Ms Bolikwe stated that they bought nine goats in South Africa including a he goat which they bred and it gave them the 119 goats they have.
She highlighted that as years went by, they heard that government was buying goats for LIMID programme beneficiaries and they started supplying them.

"North East doesn't have goats hence we sell to government through LIMID where the demand is high."
However, she said there were challenges in this business and on top of the list is heart water disease.

She stated that upon starting the project they did not research nor engage veterinary people on its risks mainly because they were not doing it for business purposes.
The farmer indicated that to strengthen her business, she attended a course in South Africa on taking care of small stock.

Ms Bolikwe indicated that she is currently studying Human Resource and Financial Management and records keeping under Tokafala sponsored by Debswana in order to further upskill herself as business grows.
For his part, Mr Oteng Bolikwe said in realising his wife's passion for rearing goats, he helped her build the farm structure and drilled a borehole though it is not functioning at the moment.

He said they are looking for two he goats because the one they bought in South Africa is old.
Mr Bolikwe encouraged the youth to benchmark from other established projects adding that they see youth projects failing which was worrying.

"I sometimes take time to speak to the youth and motivate them so that they don't lose direction."
He further indicated that they harvested 250 bags of lab lab this past ploughing season which they feed the stock. ENDS