Report on Winfridah Chansa

Winfridah Chansa is a mother of 4 children who grew up in Mporokoso, where she enjoyed her primary and basic education but was unable to move into further education due to family financial constraints. This did not discourage her in aiming high with her life ambitions. In 2003 she moved from Mporokoso to Masansa area in Mksushi to live with her brother and mother whom she helped selling groceries in her shop. Winfridah started baking and selling scones which proved to be so popular that she opened her own shop.

In 2016 Winfridah took her first steps into the small-scale agricultural sector starting by planting 6Ha of soyabeans in the 2016/17 season; an amount which steadily increased to 40Ha by the 2019/20 season. This expansion of her business brought with it a hefty price for paying for local (undependable) service providers to work her land. Although Winfridah recognised the huge benefits of mechanisation she was unable to purchase a tractor outright. However, in 2020 she was introduced to Ngenda Mundia (Regional Officer for AgLeaseCo) who explained the benefits of finance leasing to her. Winfridah duly signed a leasing contract and took delivery of a Tafe tractor and disc harrow which she used in the 2020/2021 farming season.

Winfridah managed to increase her planted hectarage from 40 to70 Ha in just one season which she remarks would not have been possible without mechanisation. She fully recognises that life is better having her own equipment; she can now service her own land at the correct time which has increased her crop yield. Her neighbouring farmers are also very happy with the benefits of mechanisation as Winfridah provides services for them which, of course, generates extra income. Winfridah is protecting her investment in her future by building a tractor store on her farm.

Winfridah is planning on farming even more land in the near future and also leasing a planter and sprayer when her current lease ends. She is very positive and happy about her farming future.