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Mbulelo Mpofu, Chronicle Reporter
HIS peers ridiculed him when traded a career in political science to follow his passion for rearing roadrunners.

A majority of youths in the country are still to realise that true wealth comes from agriculture and the soil that brave sons and daughters of the country lost their lives, to regain from colonialists.

At 30, Terrence Maphosa is among the few entrepreneurs who have realised that the true fruit of Independence, celebrated on 18 April every year, lies in exploiting the country’s vast natural resources without hindrance to empower communities.

He has defied odds with the success of his KwaTerry Chickens poultry business in rural Mhondoro-Ngezi, where he consistently churns out over 2 000 birds for every batch that matures.

The young entrepreneur grew up with a passion for law but his hopes were thwarted when instead of law, the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) offered him a Political Science Degree course.

“Initially, I wanted to do Law, but I had 12 A-level points, and UZ wanted 15 points at that time. So, because my points did not meet the requirements, I then had to apply for Political Science. That is the long and short of it,” said Maphosa.

Maphosa said that his journey to establishing his poultry company, KwaTerry Chickens was necessitated by the need to make ends meet as he found the going tough after graduating in 2016.

“After graduating with a degree in Political Science, I had to face reality head on and that was how KwaTerry Chickens was birthed. This is a product of a thorough research of something unique that could sustain me. I realised that I was in possession of a degree programme that would not be suitable for the local job market. The roadrunner industry is not congested compared to broilers so it’s a gap that I decided to exploit necessary in 2016.

“Back in the day, I used to work for a furniture company but at the time, my salary could not pay for my rentals, and I think we would go 4-5 months without getting paid. Lack of better employment opportunities motivated me to start my own thing,” said Maphosa.

The founder and chief executive officer of KwaTerry Chickens said he now rears over 2  000 birds in his Mhondoro-Ngezi farm and has enjoyed entrepreneurial success after making the Gumiguru 50 under 30 Emerging Leaders Class of 2021.

He also won the Best Futures Award 2021 at the Federation of Young Farmers Clubs Zimbabwe.

From being unable to pay rent, Maphosa now employs 7 people and his market has been individuals who place orders.

Recently, Maphosa was in Bulawayo and Tsholotsho as part of his career guidance tour for schoolchildren.

His aim is to show them that self employment through the God-given resources that our ancestors fought for may beat blue collar employment.

“Bulawayo and Tsholotsho were amazing to be honest. I received so much love and the warmest blessings. I really wish to come back soon to have more time. Students should strive to have good breeds and an appreciation of the breed characteristics. They should see the breeding stock of the supplier to avoid being conned. There is plenty of market and there’s no need to hesitate getting in the business. Put your maximum effort in it and you will have positive results,” said Maphosa.

Apart from the daily toil of rearing roadrunners, Maphosa is an avid fan of fishing and says it is his way of relaxing and unwinding.

Maphosa said that there is a big misconception about farming that needs debunking.

“The huge misconception is actually on farming itself. People think it’s backward or it’s for the elderly. People need to take farming as a profession not a side hustle. Poultry is very much profitable and people can actually earn a good living if it is done in a proper manner,” he said.
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