Dalikhaya Rain Zihlangu is a farmer from a small village in the agricultural heartland of Tseshe in the Eastern Cape. It took several crossroads for Dalikhaya Rain to return home and pursue farming, his true calling.
“I was born and raised here in a small village called Tseshe, under the district of Nqamakwe, which is in the Eastern Cape Province,” says Dalikhaya.
Dalikhaya’s father and grandfather were born here, and his great-grandfather’s roots are where it all started in 1890. Dalikhaya grew up only knowing one tractor brand, and that was a Massey Ferguson.
“Where I live is the best part of the Eastern Cape region. Here, you can farm sheep, you can grow crops and there is a large dam that supplies us with water. There is plenty of land for farming purposes and that is what I like the most about this area,” he proudly states.
“When I grew up here, there was only one tractor, a Massey Ferguson, and that is where my love for Massey Ferguson began. It was the brand that I grew up with and it will be the brand for generations to come,” he says.
Dalikhaya adds: “In previous years, we used oxen to prepare and plant the lands. During that time poverty was on the rise in this village. There was only one car and one tractor in the entire village. I still remember it like yesterday, as kids, whenever we saw the tractor, we would run behind it and follow it from one field to the other, until it completed all the tasks.”
Chasing dreams
Dalikhaya says: “Growing up here, and only seeing one tractor in this area, it has always been a dream for me to buy a tractor and pursue my dreams here, where my previous generations cultivated my dreams.
“After I finished my studies, I got a job at the mines, and I knew there would be a time for me to return home. I saved as much money as possible to finance my dream of buying a tractor,” he adds.
He explains: “After a long time working in the mines, the time for me to return home came. I realised that a lot needed to be done for me to start my own farming business. First, I had to acquire the land, and then I had to buy equipment to work the land. All of that took some time and a lot of money.”
The right people, in the right place, at the right time
“One day travelling back from the airport to home, a rigged tractor on my right-hand side caught my eye, and there I realised that my dream of owning a tractor may become a reality here. I made a U-turn and entered the building of Tractor World an authorised Massey Ferguson dealer in East London.
I shared my vision of owning a tractor with the Tractor World team. They listened and guided me accordingly. After several engagements and consultations, I made a purchase decision.
I still remember the day that my tractor was delivered like yesterday. It was the most exciting day of my life! A day that I will never forget.
The delivery included the tractor and all the required implements such as the plough, disk harrow, planter et cetera, all delivered at the same time.
After the delivery, Tractor World arranged on-site training for us. They came and taught us how to use the equipment correctly. We had two full days of comprehensive training, learning and practice, and to date we have not found any difficulties at all.”
Starting a business and farming challenges
Dalikhaya tells that even though he loves farming, venturing into the sector is not that easy. He has faced more than his share of challenges.
He says: “Working towards a goal can sometimes be difficult and frustrating. After receiving all the machinery needed from Tractor World, I came across other challenges along the way. So, you may think that it is going to be easy, honestly you will come across different kinds of challenges along the way, but if you have a partner like Tractor World, all challenges feel easier and manageable.”
When asking Dalikhaya what his advice is to someone who wants to pursue a career in farming he replies: “Have clear and set goals, know what you want to achieve and understand what you are paying for. Avoid paying for something and realising at a later stage that it does not serve you.”
“I have planned my goals and journey very well to where I am today, and I eventually got almost everything I wished for. Today I am so thankful that everything is working perfectly well,” he adds.
Red spends minimal time in the shed
“The one thing that stands out and what I like the most about Massey Ferguson products is that they spend more time working in the field than at the workshop being fixed. Most of the time, their products are on the job, working for you,” he declares.
Red spends minimal time in the shed
“The one thing that stands out and what I like the most about Massey Ferguson products is that they spend more time working in the field than at the workshop being fixed. Most of the time, their products are on the job, working for you,” he declares.
“Whenever you need spare parts, you can go to Tractor World and buy the parts from them, or they can easily make arrangements to deliver the ordered parts to you,” he elaborates.
“When looking at all my farming needs and when I look at the area I am operating in, I realised that this Massey Ferguson tractor I bought meets all my requirements and more,” he says satisfied.
This tractor is a workhorse on the farm and does all the work for Dalikhaya’s farming business. “As I am a sheep farmer our lambs are being fed on processed grains to promote healthy growth and to achieve a specific live weight, we have to plant maize which requires several cultivations. We have to prepare and till the lands, we have to plant the maize, we need to fertilise the maize and eventually harvest and move it from the field to be sorted and cleaned. The maize needs to be de-husked and threshed, whereafter the feed needs to be prepared,” he explains.
“This one particular tractor allows me to do all those tasks efficiently,” he concludes.
Dalikhaya’s investment has turned out to be a shrewd business decision and has made a huge difference to the livelihood of his family and his farming operation.
