KEY POINTS
- Exxaro opened a R36m sheep-shearing and hydroponics facility in Cofimvaba.
- The project can process 500 sheep daily and produce 90,000 vegetables yearly.
- It has created 74 jobs and aims to build sustainable rural livelihoods.
Exxaro Resources has opened a R36 million agricultural facility in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, aimed at helping local farmers increase production, create jobs and build sustainable sources of income beyond the mining sector.
The Sheep Shearing and Hydroponics Facility, located in EliXeni Village, combines a commercial-scale sheep-shearing operation with modern hydroponic farming infrastructure. The project is expected to benefit farmers in EliXeni, eThunzini and Ezingxingweni villages.
The facility is designed to process as many as 500 sheep per day during the annual shearing season.
Exxaro expects the operation to generate approximately 22,418 kilograms of wool each year, providing local sheep farmers with improved infrastructure and a more efficient way to handle their livestock and wool production.
The development includes a sheep-shearing shed, dipping facilities, a packhouse and other supporting infrastructure designed to strengthen agricultural activity in the area.
Hydroponics to produce 90,000 vegetables annually
Alongside the sheep-shearing operation, the facility features two hydroponic tunnels using Nutrient Film Technique technology.
The hydroponic operation is expected to produce about 90,000 heads of lettuce and spinach annually. The initiative is intended to introduce modern agricultural methods while helping farmers generate additional income from vegetable production.
The combination of livestock and crop production is also expected to contribute to the development of a broader agricultural hub in Cofimvaba.
Exxaro said the project has already created employment opportunities for 74 people, adding to its potential to stimulate economic activity in the surrounding communities.
The company said the facility was developed through Exxaro Matla Mine’s Social and Labour Plan (SLP), which is designed to support socioeconomic development in communities connected to its operations.
Although Cofimvaba is not a host community for one of Exxaro’s mines, the area forms part of the company’s wider labour-sending footprint.
Exxaro CEO Ben Magara said the company’s objective was to develop an economic asset capable of continuing to benefit communities long after mining activities change or end.
Magara said sustainable development should extend beyond the extraction of minerals and include investments that allow communities to build lasting economic opportunities.
He described the Cofimvaba project as an example of how Social and Labour Plan investments can be used to create sustainable livelihoods and productive community assets.
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe welcomed the development, saying it demonstrated how the mining industry could contribute to socioeconomic development beyond mineral extraction.
Mantashe thanked Exxaro for funding the construction of the sheep-shearing facility through its Social and Labour Plan and said the project reflected the government’s vision of a mining sector that contributes to improved livelihoods.
The facility was named after Crosby Moni, the late former deputy president of the National Union of Mineworkers.
