Promise Maseko is a woman of grit, determination, and an unquenchable desire to succeed and make a difference in her community. Born and raised in Ekangala, near Bronkhorstspruit, on the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga, Promise had early lessons in resourcefulness and making her own way in the world.
Raised by her grandmother from the age of five, Promise learnt that life was difficult. Her grandmother was unemployed and baked and sold scones to earn a living to sustain her grandchildren. Promise contributed to the household income as a child by selling peanuts and sweets to other children at school. Life was lived hand-to-mouth, but somehow Promise knew that things could be different if she set her mind to grasping opportunity.
Into the early years of adulthood, Promise undertook any sort of work that would sustain her financially, and from which she could learn. She had vague thoughts about wanting to be a business owner one day, but the immediate challenges of survival were uppermost in her mind. Among other things, she has worked as a domestic helper, and volunteered at the local police station.
At the age of 28, Promise heard about and entered a competition – I am Preneur – through Tshepo 1 Million – which was launched to instill an entrepreneurial mindset among young people. She applied for, and was accepted, into the programme.
“I like to grab every opportunity that comes by! That’s where I found my passion!”
The programme trained participants in how to identify gaps and needs in the local community, and then how to brainstorm business ideas for meeting those needs, with a strong focus on entrepreneurial mindset. Participants were also trained in creating business plans, and how to run a business, guided by mentors. Of the 200 or more initial participants, only 37 remained at the end of the 12-month programme. Most of the other participants gave up because there was no stipend to support them while they were on the programme. Promise, however, was never deterred.
“Being resilient and enthusiastic really helped me. It helped me to be patient.”
She identified a need in her community – chicken meat for local people. The Department of Health recommends chicken as a healthy source of protein for consumers of meat. In addition to the health factor, people in Ekangala were having to travel all the way ‘to town’ to purchase chicken meat and had few facilities to store it. There was a need in the community to raise and supply fresh chicken to residents, readily available without having to travel long distances to purchase it.
Promise drew up and presented her business idea to the judges, who were impressed. She won the first prize and received R15 000. She used this as the initial capital investment to launch her business – Gugulam Poultry House; she purchased materials to build a chicken coop in her backyard, as well as young chicks and feeders. The business was successful immediately, and Promise has been able to employ two young people from the community. She has reinvested her profits and now has two coops, each housing 200 chickens.
The customer base is growing exponentially, to the point where demand is beginning to outstrip supply. Customers comment that Gugulam chicken tastes delicious. Promise attributes this to the love with which they are raised. The chickens are kept in healthy, hygienic conditions, and are antibiotic and preservative free. Existing customers want to become distributors of Gugulam poultry. The business plan can accommodate sustainable entrepreneurship and growth by enabling another layer of economic participation. The medium-term plan is to secure land where she can build a coop that can house 1000 chickens, and to be able to supply the distributors.
She has become an inspiration to others in her community and takes pride in the fact that she can be a role model to other women, especially single mothers.
Promise won an award at the Young Farmer Awards – Best Homestead Producer (2019). She has become an inspiration to others in her community and takes pride in the fact that she can be a role model to other women, especially single mothers. Through the business, Promise is able to support her family sustainably, as well as develop and employ other people.
One of the most unexpected outcomes of the business has been its impact on Fikile, Promise’s older sister. At age 29, Fikile was seriously injured at work, and was declared paraplegic. She became wheelchair-bound, and her overall health and mental wellbeing deteriorated. When Gugulam Poultry House was launched, Fikile began to take an active interest in the running of the business; she prepares the coops for new chicks, and sits with the chickens every day, talking to them, giving them names, and making sure they are comfortable. Miraculously, Fikile’s health started improving. Although still wheelchair-bound most of the time, she can move around the home and the chicken coop using crutches. Promise believes that the love shared between Fikile and the chickens is a reciprocal – Fikile’s health has improved as a result of working with the chickens, and the chickens feel the love that she expresses to them, making them healthier.
Gugulam Poultry House is also an inter-generational success story. Promise’s six-year-old daughter is “very hands on” in the business. She cleans the coops, feeds the chickens, and helps wherever she can. The early lessons about hard work that Promise learnt from her grandmother are now being passed to her daughter.
Promise has a powerful message to share with other people, especially those for whom life has dealt the blows of poverty and material hardship:
“Knowledge is power. Always seek it. Once you have it, no-one can take it away from you. Never, ever undermine opportunities that come your way – grab them! I became successful because I was resilient, and open to ideas. Look for opportunity, and then grab it with both hands. Patience pays. NEVER give up!”
