#WIB - Q&A With Masello Mokhoro Owner Of Starlicious Enterprises -

1. Can you please tell us more about your business?

A. Starlicious Enterprises is an agribusiness rearing day-old broiler chicks till six weeks and pigs for consumption. The business is based in Bultfontein in the Free State, the chicks are reared in my backyard while the pigs are kept on the municipal communal land.

2. When, how and why did you start your business?

A. The business started in June 2019 and was formally registered in November 2019. It started as a means of supporting my family and testing myself on what I have learnt in class. Mostly, it was motivated by having something to do after completing my studies as I saw that obtaining employment will be a challenge after having struggled to find a place to do my practicals in 2018 and considering that my certificate will be withheld by the institution after completion of my studies due to outstanding fees.

3. What is your role in the business?

A. I oversee the general management and handling of the animals, be it having to vaccinate, clean coups and pens, dock piglet tails, and keeping of records, both financial (sales and purchases) and management related (mortalities, sales, mating, and weaning records).

4. Where did you study and what did you study?

A. I studied at the Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein campus, where I did my National Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Agricultural Management, which I both obtained with Cum Laude.

5. How did you finance your business?

A. The business was funded using allowances I received from the university as well as winnings from the business proposal writing competition that was held on campus by the idea-gym.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

A. My average workday includes having to clean the chicken coup in the morning, opening up to allow fresh air in, giving the chickens fresh, clean water and feed and leaving for the pigs, where they also have to receive feed and water and have their pens cleaned.

7. How do you balance your home life and your work life?

A. With the help of my family. They help where they can and having a part of the business in my backyard helps to ensure that I can oversee it and still perform my responsibilities at home.

8. What drives you and inspires you?

A. Learning something new, each day, about the animals and myself. I have come to realise new things about myself as I have been growing in the business with my animals, the strength, commitment, resilience, sacrificing for the sake of the animals, ability to handle them and being able to spot when there is something wrong. Mostly, my family’s support, belief and faith in me that I got this and can do it.

9. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

A. When I’m out there with the animals and just observing how things are going.

10. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?

A. Around the community through word of mouth as well as social media. Word of mouth has really helped cause we have had new customers who have said they saw or heard about us from certain people and would like to also purchase from us.

11. What is next for your business?

A. To strive towards our vision of actively participating in the production chain at all levels, producing affordable, trusted, quality pork and chicken that never disappoint and bring change to the lives of people, through training, empowerment and job creation. To grow beyond our recent capacity and create jobs.

12. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs hoping to start their own businesses?

A. Go for it! If you believe you can do it and are definitely sure that it is what you want to do, then go for it. Just start with what you have, where you are and gradually grow. You are going to face a lot of challenges, some expected and some unexpected, so be prepared for anything. Some days, you will feel like your efforts are not enough and will receive a lot of negative criticism from people trying to dampen your spirit, don’t pay attention to it. Women’s abilities are normally undermined and that is your superpower: being a woman. You do not have to prove yourself to anybody other than yourself, just let your work do the talking for you.