Page 36 - KZN Top Business Women 2022 Powed by DRG & BusinessFit SA

GOSTINA ‘GABBEY’ MALOPE, FOUNDER observed. “My biggest goal with the KZN Centre practices. She also has a strong vision to
AND DIRECTOR OF TOUTELE AGRICULTURE is to just activate more innovative business establish the organisation beyond the borders
COLLEGE, SOUTH AFRICA ideas and entrepreneurial opportunities and of South Africa.
map out our country to be an agricultural
economic hub as a whole.” Gabbey’s vision is to transform the agriculture
OSTINA MALOPE, or ‘Gabbey’ as she sector through technology, capacity development,
is more commonly known, is the Gabby is an innovative and passionate and sustainable farming methodologies and
dynamic and inspiring founder and entrepreneur who is determined to make a practices.
Gdirector of Toutele Agriculture College, difference. Looking at the faces of the graduates
South Africa. Growing up in a rural farming each year, she sees such a huge difference in Her innovative ideas have been adopted by
community, Gabbey developed a passion for them from when they started out. “The growth several other colleges in the industry. Gabbey
agriculture. She established the college in 2015 in the students is so rewarding, and farmers on and Toutele Agriculture College South Africa
specifically for rural girls, to address challenges the development programme are now supplying boasts some of the biggest stakeholders in
faced by rural communities, of not being able international markets. This is where you vividly the country, such as AgriSETA, Afrivest, Tsolo
to access higher education like university and see the change, you don’t have to look for it,” Agriculture and Rural Development Institute,
Owen Sithole Agriculture College, Crooks
colleges, which were out of their reach or in she explained. The best reward for Gabby is
towns. However, with a strong interest coming seeing young women operating in the space of Brothers, SA Veterinary Council amongst other
giants in the industry.
from boys as well, soon they were included. agriculture, which has been a predominantly
As a result, the college evolved into a rural male dominated environment. “Seeing the ADVICE TO YOUNG WOMEN
community college that is affordable and goals that we had, being manifested in these
accessible for general wage-earning parents, young people, and seeing them become who “Don’t follow trends, rather set trends,” is
including the SETAs, opening empowerment they never thought they could be, is priceless,” Gabbey’s firm and clear advice to young
opportunities to them. Gabbey has over the says Gabby. women. Whatever you do should replenish
years, worked with youth and farmers to help CHALLENGES FACED you, so invest in yourself first, so that others
them acquire education, skills and training in see you as the prototype of what you believe.
the agriculture sector, thereby enabling them One of the biggest challenges Gabby has And don’t give up, the world is your oyster and
to become more self-sufficient and sustainable experienced as a businesswoman in her constantly evolving. “Look at vegetables,” she
through farming. industry, was Covid, which steered her into says, “first they were only consumed, now they
completely new ways. The normal daily farming are in health products, and in beauty products.
This dynamic woman entrepreneur has built routines had to change. “We now had to love our Anything is possible.”
her name as an expert in the agriculture sector, crops with a glove,” she says. There was a titanic
which is traditionally not a glamorous industry loss of farmers, as many were affected health Balancing her life comes from spending most
for most young people. However, Gabbey, a wise. Crop production is an incredibly physical of her time with her twins. Gabbey has a guitar
businesswoman of many talents, is also the and intensive process, and many farmers were and loves music, so dancing to the music
founder of Gabriva Clothing Label. She says, “I not able to continue. wherever they are, is what you will find them
simply love clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, doing to unwind. She also loves food and says
beauty products and perfumes.” Covid was certainly the biggest challenge for she is ‘an adventurous eater’ who likes to try
the college, which forced them to relook their out unusual dishes. Gabbey also loves taking
Besides being a businesswoman, social operational processes and find innovative risks where she believes in something, which
entrepreneur and wife, Gabbey is also mother new ways. Gabby is determined that they will she says stimulates and energises her. She also
to twins – a boy and a girl. overcome these challenges by being non- unwinds by watching series on TV.
apologetic and taking initiative on how to best
DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURS In conclusion, Gabbey’s message to the women
incorporate the challenges post-Covid to build of South Africa is that they need to step up
Gabbey was recently appointed the president a health system specifically for agriculture. and get out of the spaces that limit them. She
of the KZN Centre for Rural Development, As a result, the college is developing learning believes that South Africa is an economic hub
which advocates for small enterprise business programmes for agri-health so that farmers that has not yet fully identified its potential.
to be revived post Covid and after the disasters learn how to look after themselves. “The women of South Africa are immensely
such as floods and looting, which our province BIG DREAMS wonderful, and we need to step up and become
experienced. “Young women and men are no the new life blood of our country,” says Gabbey.
longer keen to go into entrepreneurship, they Gabby’s dream is to build an eco-college, “The old carry the wisdom, the young are the
want jobs, and as we all know, jobs have all on land owned by the institution, which has movers and shakers, and together we make a
disappeared along with all the disasters that already garnered much hype. This technology strong, diverse force to drive the economy of
have occurred over the last two years,” Gabbey will expose students to world-class farming South Africa. Our country is rich in its women.”

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