By Buziwe Nocuze
- Patiswa Mboto, 45, from Philippi in Cape Town started her chicken business in 2010 after her child support grant was not enough to support six family members.
- Mboto built her business from a R20 weekly stokvel contribution, buying five chickens at a time until she could afford to buy more than 200 a month.
PublishedImage: 2026-07-27 17:10
Patiswa Mboto needed money. Her child support grant was not covering six people and she had no job. So she started selling Russians around Philippi township, saving R20 a week by contributing to a stokvel.
When the stokvel paid out, she bought five chickens.
“Those chickens brought in money, and I was able to buy more. I was also selling drinks and airtime,” she said.
That was 2010. She was selling a chicken for between R60 and R70. Today she charges R130 cash and moves more than 200 chickens a month, earning over R8,000.
She also runs an informal credit system — customers who cannot pay upfront take chickens on credit and settle after the first of the month. She restocks once they pay.
Competition is her biggest headache. New sellers enter the market constantly.
“We have new people joining the business every day, meaning we are more than six sellers. That is why I wish to get funding so that I can expand my business,” she said.
Mboto does not yet know where to apply for funding, but options exist. SEDFA — the Small Enterprise Finance and Development Agency — provides loans and business support to small businesses across South Africa. She can call 0860 663 7867 or visit sedfa.org.za. If a bank declines her because she lacks collateral, she can ask them specifically about a SEDFA-Khula credit guarantee. Seda’s Business Information Centre is also available at 0860 103 703.
Pictured above: Patiswa Mboto loads chickens onto the back of a van.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
