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Buyambo Mantashe (24) is unlike most young people. He gets excited when he talks about livestock mating techniques, greets his cows and doesn’t care that there’s no cellphone reception on the cattle and sheep farm he manages.
He also has a famous father – ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe – a man almost as well known for his passion for farming as he is for his politics.
Farming is in the Mantashe family’s blood. It goes all the way back to Buyambo’s great-grandfather, from whom the family inherited another farm in nearby Cala. It has been in the family since the 1930s.
Blomvlei, the 531 hectare farm outside Elliot in the Eastern Cape Buyambo manages, was bought in 2012.
The farming gene has clearly passed down the line to the young man – he is far more interested in increasing the farm’s profitability than in following in his dad’s political footsteps.
“My first love is farming,” says Buyambo as he takes City Press on a tour of every corner of the land, which supports 90 cattle and 700 sheep.
The tour includes a visit to the cowshed, where he makes a low noise in greeting as he approaches 84 pregnant cows who are kept separate from the bulls. The cows respond to the sound of his approach.
“I’m not really into a career in politics – although, coming from a family like mine, I have been an activist. It would have been hard not to be, but farming is where my future lies,” he says.
And he hasn’t only relied on the Mantashe farming heritage to get ahead. Buyambo will graduate from the University of Fort Hare with a BSc in agricultural economics this month.
He says his studies have opened him up to more than just farming. He has been exposed to the broader dynamics of the industry.
“Farming is rarely seen as a vital economic sector, so my aim has always been to create my wealth in this sector. Land ownership is the only way to be a successful farmer,” he adds.
The Potchefstroom High School for Boys matriculant also gives credit to his father for helping him shape his fascination with farming. As a child, he would accompany him to the maize fields of the family’s Cala farm, where he would help with the planting.
Buyambo says his father is his “best friend”.
“I have learnt a lot from him. One of the lessons I cherish is the importance of being patient about your development as a farmer.” In other words, “don’t drown yourself in debt in a rush to reach success”.
Buyambo is not afraid of getting dirt and soil under his fingernails, but is also determined to grow into an astute businessman.
He talks about the need for “discipline” and “resolve” and why it’s crucial for him to inhabit the rural and urban worlds.
“The rural life is important for ensuring I never forget my roots; it is also a calming environment.
“But the urban life is also important – that’s where the economy is run and the first form of development is taking place.”
There is no time, he says, for “lagging behind in the world of knowledge and business”.
And in this spirit, he’s about to take a big leap forward. He has applied to do his master’s in agribusiness in China later this year.
When City Press arrived at the farm, Buyambo was busy interviewing candidates to replace him as farm manager.
He will spend three years at the China Agricultural University and is full of praise for China’s importance in the world.
“China is the new America and I like to put myself at an advantage. Some private schools in Gauteng are even teaching Mandarin,” he says.
China might beckon in the future, but in the meantime, the cows need immediate attention.
Buyambo carries a sack of coarse salt to feed the cows. The salt makes their bones stronger and also makes them thirsty enough to drink water from a nearby stream – which helps them to clean their systems.
“Being a farmer is a great aspect of my life. The fact that I know I have a role to play in food production and in the food security of the country is exciting and inspiring,” adds the young Mantashe
