R5m Campaign Launched

Nolusindiso Hleko launched a R5 million crowdfunding campaign on 12 August 2026 to buy Mooivlei farm in the Eastern Cape for her 62‑year‑old father, Simosakhe Hleko. Simosakhe, who began farming at age 14 in 1978, grew a herd from a single cow bought in 1984 to nearly 600 animals across cattle, sheep, goats and horses over four decades.

From One Cow to a 743‑Hectare Operation

Simosakhe was born in 1964 to farm‑worker parents and never received a formal education. By 20 he had saved enough from wages to purchase that first cow, which became the foundation of a herd that expanded to almost 600 animals. In 2008 he secured an arrangement to keep the herd at Mooivlei in the Joe Gqabi district. By 2019, earning less than R5,000 a month, he quit his job and moved to Mooivlei full time. There he built flood irrigation, developed arable land, planted lucerne and fenced the entire 743 hectares, turning it into one of the best‑run wool and livestock operations in the region.

Repeated Land Application Rejections

Simosakhe applied to the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development to acquire Mooivlei in 2003 and again in 2013. Both times the application was rejected; officials in 2013 told him he would be “a burden to the government.” A December 2025 application was submitted, but it has added further uncertainty and has taken a toll on his health.

Community Support and Social Media

The campaign was shared on TikTok by Nolusindiso, sparking a flood of comments from South Africans offering advice and support. The family is raising the R5 million through GoFundMe and BackABuddy. Comments ranged from suggestions to sell shares with a buy‑back clause to recommendations to approach the Department of Agriculture for funding opportunities.

The Stakes for a Lifelong Dream

If the farm is lost, Simosakhe’s 60‑year‑old dream of a permanent home for his herd will vanish. Nolusindiso wrote that losing Mooivlei would break him in a way he would not recover from. The crowdfunding effort aims to secure ownership before the land is taken away, preserving the legacy of a farmer who started with a single cow and built a thriving operation against repeated setbacks.