Nomvelo Mtolo

Call me farm girl I was born and raised in KwaZulu Natal and I currently reside in Centurion Gauteng. I am the founder of a company called NPM Poultry, a service that is dedicated to supplying the absolute best version of nature’s perfect food — eggs.

As a little girl, I’ve always thought of myself as similar to every living individual. Until I started to interact with other kids on the playground and came to the realization that I was different.

I had a speech impediment so each and every time I would raise my hand in the classroom to share my ideas. I would hear the giggles coming from across the room.

I felt embarrassed and as a result, it killed my confidence, at some point I had convinced myself that quitting school was my only way out. In 2002 I lost my mother and did not know who my biological father was, the tragedy left me bruised and I fell into a depression.

My grandfather took on the role of my caregiver and he encouraged me to persevere and continue school. I adopted the love for agriculture through him. Planting and harvesting was my way of escaping the trauma of my childhood.

My grandfather taught me everything I know today about farming and selling produce. This passion eventually turned into a business venture and I am proud to say that after 4 years of experience in local sales and poultry distribution I've consistently met and exceeded my quota throughout my career.

My ultimate goal is to close the global gender gap in agriculture and grow food production that will build sustainable futures for women, serve individuals in my community and create a reliable market of high-quality farm products that will satisfy both consumers and small-scale farmers.