Going from R10 million to R100 million in 10 years

Riaan Strydom and his brother have managed to grow a small family farm into a huge, diversified farming business. He spoke to Wouter Kriel about their constant search for new opportunities to add value.

- Riaan Strydom

Riaan Strydom and his brother Mario own the farming business Bokmakierie Holdings. They grew up in the small town of Krakeel near Joubertina in the Langkloof, Eastern Cape. Over a 20-year period, they have managed to grow a small family farm into a diversified mega business. Over the past 10 years, they were able to grow the business’ turnover tenfold.

FAST FACTS

Brothers Riaan and Mario Strydom run a large, diversified farming business in Krakeel in the Langkloof.

Their poultry business started with 200 broiler chickens in 1996 and has grown to 109 000 chickens, with 2 500 birds slaughtered each day.

To improve fruit production, they are experimenting with tree spacing, fertigation and drape nets on apples and pears.

“Fruit was our family farm’s main activity, but we always had a few chickens as an additional source of income. In 1996, when my father passed away, we had a flock of about 200 birds. We sold them locally, and this small business grew to the point where we registered for a home butcher’s licence in 1997. We were slaughtering about 1 500 birds a week and supplying shops in Krakeel and Joubertina when I came to the farm in 2002,” recalls Strydom.

POULTRY BUSINESS

In 2007, the brothers acquired a 3m x 6m shop space in Joubertina from where they sold their chicken and pork products. The business grew, and they extended the range to include beef and sheep products. As demand and volumes grew, they had to increase their shop space.

“In 2010, we invested in a commercial butchery in Joubertina. Then, in 2019, we constructed a new, on-farm meat-processing facility, where all meat orders are now processed and packed for clients.”