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- When Gugulomuzi Ngcobo of Summerhill farm in Donnybrook, KwaZulu-Natal was named the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Small-scale Dairy Producer of the Year in 2024, it marked the pinnacle of a remarkable success story.
- Known as Duckie in his hometown, he was born the son of a farmworker who worked his way up to become a dairy farm manager.
- He purchased Summerhill outright for R450 000.
- Duckie continuously improved the farm, handling as much of the work himself as possible to avoid having to rely on contractors.
- Summerhill currently comprises 50ha of dryland kikuyu pastures, 44ha of dryland maize for silage, and 11ha of irrigated land.
When Gugulomuzi Ngcobo of Summerhill farm in Donnybrook, KwaZulu-Natal was named the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Small-scale Dairy Producer of the Year in 2024, it marked the pinnacle of a remarkable success story. At 71, while he has begun considering succession, he is far from slowing down and still has bold plans for his dairy operation.
Known as Duckie in his hometown, he was born the son of a farmworker who worked his way up to become a dairy farm manager – an induna, as the position was called in those days. When Duckie was old enough to start working, his first job was on the same farm. One of his most valuable life lessons, he recalls, came with his very first paycheque in 1970, which was a modest R23,75.
“My father took me to the Post Office and helped me open a savings account. He made me deposit R23 and told me I could spend the remaining 75 cents. That moment shaped the way I’ve lived my life ever since – I save as much as I can and spend as little as possible.”
Over time, Duckie was enrolled in a course to obtain his heavy vehicle driver’s licence. However, he had bigger ambitions than driving trucks on a farm, dreaming of owning a farm himself. Knowing he would never be granted permission to leave, he decided to run away, securing a job as a truck driver in Ixopo.
Eventually, he secured a job as a long-distance truck driver with Tanker Services, a job he held for 15 years. By the end of that period, he had saved enough money to purchase a minibus taxi and launch his own taxi service. Two years later, he expanded his business by acquiring a second minibus.
When Summerhill in Donnybrook came up for sale in the 1990s, Duckie approached the agent and made an offer which was accepted. He purchased Summerhill outright for R450 000.
From humble beginnings
“Initially, my plan was to run beef cattle on the farm, but over time I realised that the income from such a small operation – just 150ha – was insufficient. To establish a truly viable economic unit, I knew I would have to switch to dairy farming. Having grown up on a dairy farm, I was familiar with the industry, and my neighbour, Rob Stapylton-Smith, was already a prominent dairy farmer. I was confident that he would give me valuable advice.”
Duckie purchased six Jersey-type milking cows and used an old milking shed on the farm as a dairy parlour. He milked the cows by hand, bottled the milk, sealed the bottles with a hot iron, and sold them in the informal market around town. His customers understood that a fresh bottle of milk would last a day before naturally turning into Amasi, which they found perfectly acceptable.
“After some time, I realised that spending the entire day driving around to sell my milk was not sustainable. Instead, I decided to supply local shops. This worked for a while, but as my dairy herd grew, I struggled to find enough shops to take all the milk. It became clear that I needed a formal milk buyer who could purchase my entire supply.
“That is when I turned to Rob for advice. He reached out to Creighton Dairies, and they agreed to take me on as a supplier.”
A mutual arrangement
Looking back, Duckie says that what truly gave his dairy its initial momentum was Rob’s generosity – he supplied him with heifer calves which Duckie reared himself. This significantly expanded his herd in a relatively short time.
At this stage, Rob recalls, Duckie needed to upgrade his dairy parlour to meet quality standards. To improve hygiene and efficiency, he invested in a simple milking machine and a cooling tank.
“Before Duckie bought Summerhill, I was leasing a maize field on the farm for silage production. When he took ownership, we agreed that I would continue leasing the land, but instead of paying rent, I would provide him with maize silage. This arrangement allowed him to milk off kikuyu pastures during summer and rely on the silage for winter feed.
“As his herd grew, however, I realised he would soon require the entire silage crop for his own cows. Recognising this, we decided to cancel the lease agreement.”
Throughout this period, Duckie continuously improved the farm, handling as much of the work himself as possible to avoid having to rely on contractors.
The next major turning point, Duckie recalls, came when the Stapylton-Smiths suggested he move his bookkeeping to their office. Rob and his wife, Jenny, had hired an additional staff member, Zelda Venter, to assist in the office, giving them the capacity to manage Duckie’s accounts as well.
It soon became evident that Duckie’s financial affairs were far from in order. The farm had never been officially transferred to his name, and he was neither registered with SARS nor assigned a VAT number. After a lengthy process, these issues were finally resolved, and Zelda took over the administration of the Summerhill dairy.
Upgrades that boost success
Over time, Rob explains, Duckie experienced two major breakthroughs that elevated his operation to a new level.
“The first came after a visit from the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture. He was impressed by what Duckie had accomplished without any external financial support. As a result, the provincial Department of Agriculture allocated grant funding to upgrade the farm’s infrastructure, on condition that Duckie take on a formal mentor. I was asked to fulfil that role. I accepted, and together we were able to completely redesign his farm.”
The entire farm was securely fenced, an arterial road was constructed, and a water distribution system was installed to provide drinking water to all the camps. A powerful pump was set up to draw water from the dam to a reservoir at the farm’s highest point, allowing gravity to efficiently supply water to the troughs in each camp.
“For the first time, Duckie could implement a proper rotational grazing system. Summerhill is an excellent summer farm, located in the mist belt with high rainfall. However, it has limited stored water and minimal irrigation, making winter conditions particularly challenging.”
The second breakthrough came when the Department of Agriculture upgraded his milking parlour. The outdated portable bucket system was replaced with a state-of-the-art 20-point swing-over parlour, cutting his milking time to just one hour, twice a day.
Duckie’s biggest challenge is the limited size of his land, which restricts further expansion. He is actively searching for additional land to purchase. Summerhill currently comprises 50ha of dryland kikuyu pastures, 44ha of dryland maize for silage, and 11ha of irrigated land. An urgent priority is doubling the storage capacity of the dam to ensure sufficient water supply throughout the winter. In the meantime, his focus remains on improving soil fertility to sustain productivity.
“You won’t find another dairy farm in this area,” Rob concludes, “thriving with 150 milking cows despite the limited resources Duckie has. He is a phenomenal entrepreneur.” – Izak Hofmeyr, Plaas Media
For more information, contact Duckie Ncgobo on 0827627714.
