BBL PARTICIPANT: KUTULLO MOTHOTI, MONSTERLUS, LIMPOPO
In a Nutshell
Through his participation in SocioTech’s Broad-Based Livelihoods (BBL) strategies to stimulate personal economic activity, Kutullo Mothoti from Monsterlus has transformed his outlook from job-seeker to self-driven entrepreneur. By applying both practical and planning skills gained through BBL mentorship, he has established a thriving vegetable enterprise on school grounds, supplying food to local children and the community while building a solid foundation for future business expansion.
He says…
I grew up in Burgersfort and I only came here last year, 2024. When I arrived, I was looking for a job but then I met Sizwe from SocioTech through a project at the local primary school. That one meeting changed my whole way of thinking. Before, I saw myself as an unemployed person looking for someone to employ me. Now I think of myself as an emerging entrepreneur with the potential to grow my business. I feel much more in control of my own life now. I feel uplifted.
Some of my new confidence comes from the practical skills I have learnt from Sizwe - trenching, making seedlings, mulching, pest control - but there are also planning skills that I have been empowered with. I have learnt how to think ahead and not just live day to day. I am currently developing a plan for the next 3 years. Everyday while I work, I think about how to grow this business.
I am currently farming on land owned by the Bosele School for deaf and blind children in Monsterlus. The deal I have with the school is that I give them 10% of the crops that I produce. They use those crops to feed the students. The rest of the harvest is mine to sell. The staff at the school also come directly to the garden to buy from me for their own homes. The school is close to the town centre, so I can easily sell to street vendors. I also sell door to door. Sales are good. I keep a record of everything I buy and everything I sell. I use that data to plan my planting going forward. Being a farmer is all about keeping records and doing research.
For me, school grounds were a great place to start my farming career - first at Osene School, and then this expansion to Bosele. Before this, my only farming experience was with goats. The ladies who cook for the children here gave me all their used tins to add into my trenches as a good source of iron. As you can see, the SocioTech methods
"....all so new to me, but Sizwe has started to teach me about how to...."
are simultaneously an environmental clean-up! I also went to local weddings and ceremonies to collect discarded bones for calcium. So far it is going well, but I can feel that I am already outgrowing this area.
I am currently looking for more fallow land, because I want to expand my business. By next year I would like to be supplying supermarkets. They need constant supply and large quantities. Growing in size requires new techniques. It is all so new to me, but Sizwe has started to teach me about how to calculate yields per square meter. You can measure precise distances between plants and then you can work out profits in advance. I learn something new every day.
There are challenges. Farming requires patience and a lot of hard physical work. Every day there is something new to work on. Plants are very vulnerable to disease, but if you do your research, you can always find a way to deal with challenges.
As long as you are clear about what you want and how you are going to get there, anything and everything is possible.
BBL MyFood
BBL Mentoring & Monitoring
BBL Veg Tunnel self-build
BBL FruitTree Campaign
BBL MyFuture
BBL MyBusiness
BBL MyPoultry
BBL MyLivestock
BBL BusinessBuilders
BBL FoodEconomy
BBL OurMarket
BBL TalentShow
BBL GardenCompetition
BBL YouthSurvey
BBL SportsTournament
- Money management skills: Kutullo carefully records all his income and expenses, using the data to guide planting plans and improve profits with each cycle.
- Business diversification: Starting with goats, he has now developed a productive vegetable business supplying both schools and local vendors.
- Scientific and data-driven mindset: He applies measurement and yield-calculation techniques to plan production precisely and forecast profits.
- Community partnership: His agreement with Bosele School provides food for students while generating steady income from sales to staff and vendors.
- Entrepreneurial growth: Kutullo is now expanding his farming operations and preparing to supply supermarkets, driven by clear long-term goals and self-confidence.
- Resilience and problem-solving: By researching natural solutions for soil and plant health, he turns challenges into opportunities for learning and innovation.
