Lebakeng 
Mokhele (30), from Harrismith in the Free State, is an academic whose research helps improve market access for emerging farmers.
He is currently pursuing a Master of Commerce in Business Management at the University of the Free State (UFS). His research focuses on how supply chain enablers can improve market access and business performance for agricultural small and micro enterprises.
Speaking to Vuk’uzenzele, Mokhele said his journey into agriculture began while studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at UFS.
“I started by buying vegetables from a local Pick n Pay, repackaging them and selling them door-to-door in my community. Through this experience, I realised there was greater value in producing food rather than simply trading it. That motivated me to learn farming from the ground up,” he said.
Although he has no formal agricultural training, Mokhele has spent countless hours studying research publications and books to build his knowledge. He later expanded from vegetable production into livestock farming.
Today, he manages Bucks N Bucks, a diversified mixed farming operation comprising Bonsmara cattle, Dorper sheep and vegetable production. The business supplies vegetables to local consumers, informal markets and buyers across the Free State. Lambs are marketed through abattoirs, while young calves are supplied to feedlots. He has operated on a 1 300-hectare farm since 2024.
So far, the business has created one permanent position and 12 seasonal jobs, depending on production levels. It also creates indirect employment opportunities through outsourced services such as accounting and business consulting.
Mokhele said studying business management changed his perspective on farming.
“Agriculture is not only about producing food. It is also about building sustainable businesses, creating jobs, managing risk and developing efficient supply chains,” he said.
Supporting emerging farmers
Passionate about supporting emerging farmers, Mokhele works with the Centre for Global Change (CGC) in Vrede to identify farmers with the potential to access formal agricultural markets.
Support provided includes seedlings, production inputs, farming equipment, technical advice, livestock vaccination programmes, business planning, compliance assistance, market information and buyer linkages.
“Our goal is not simply to improve production but to build sustainable agricultural businesses that can compete in formal value chains,” he said.
The CGC has supported Mokhele’s studies and provided up to R200 000 for the Vrede Farms project.
Mokhele graduated cum laude with a BCom Honours in Business Management from UFS and received an Allan Gray award as one of the faculty’s top-performing students.
“My master’s research investigates how information sharing, collaboration, technology adoption and logistics capabilities improve market access and business performance for agricultural small businesses. Many of these principles are already being implemented in my farming operations and farmer development initiatives,” he said.
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