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Food Systems Hero: Transforming 100 Chickens into a Sustainable Urban Farming Business - Lessons from Khaya Burwana

Starting a farm with just 100 chickens in a small Cape Town community might seem modest. Yet, Khaya Burwana’s journey with AgriKey Farming shows how vision, persistence, and community-focused decisions can turn a humble beginning into a thriving, sustainable business. His story offers valuable lessons for entrepreneurs who want to grow their ventures while supporting their communities.


Khaya’s path is not just about expanding a farm. It’s about building a system that works, adapting to challenges, and connecting with the right people and resources at the right time. This piece explores the key moments and insights from his journey, highlighting what it takes to grow a business sustainably and inclusively. This piece is less about "here's what Khaya built," more "here's what we've learned walking alongside him." Because if there's one golden thread in his journey, it's this: entrepreneurs like Khaya don't grow in a straight line, and they don't grow alone. They grow through ecosystems — funding, mentorship, market access, and community — showing up at the right moments, in the right combination.



Building from the Ground Up


Khaya started AgriKey Farming in 2019 with 100 chickens in Mfuleni, a township in Cape Town. His background as an IT business data and information systems analyst influenced how he approached farming. Instead of treating it as a simple agricultural project, he applied systems thinking to every part of the operation. Today the business manages broiler and layer poultry, pigs, and organic vegetables grown through hydroponic systems, supplying local informal traders and increasingly plugging into formal retail networks.


This meant planning how each element of the farm would connect and support the others. For example, the farm has over the years included broiler and layer poultry, pigs, and now also organic vegetables grown through soil and hydroponic systems. These diverse products have helped the business balance income streams and reduce risks.


Khaya’s approach shows the importance of thinking beyond the immediate product and exploring how you can serve your customers with diverse products. By building a mixed farm, he created a resilient business that can adapt to market changes and environmental challenges.



Key Milestones in Growth


Several moments stand out in Khaya’s journey, marking important steps in the farm’s development:


  • 2019: AgriKey Farming begins with 100 chickens in Mfuleni.

    • Khaya expands into multiple livestock breeding throughout the years and establishes supply chains with local informal traders and develops a pathway toward formal retail networks.

  • 2024: Agrikey participates in Oribi #FoodSystems Incubation Programme. The programme provided mentorship and expert guidance helping Khaya refine his social business and economic models.

  • 2025: Agrikey is selected to receive Oribi Grant funding as part of the #FoodSystems Programme.  This funding support provided for asset purchases to establish the business's meat processing unit, alongside supporting its operations around the further development of soil and hydroponic crop production systems for diversifying income streams.

  • 2026: Khaya wins 2nd Place at the Mr Price Foundation Bindzu Youth Fund Awards, securing R250,000 in funding along with mentorship and business support to scale AgriKey Farming's sustainable food security impact.


These milestones reflect how growth happens through a combination of funding, mentorship, ecosystem acknowledge and building for market access. Khaya’s story emphasizes that entrepreneurs rarely succeed alone. They need ecosystems that provide support at critical moments. Each of the above milestones are on their own are a wins. Together, they tell a more interesting story: about what happens when different parts of an entrepreneurial ecosystem — an incubator, a foundation, a retailer — each contribute a different kind of support at a different stage of growth.



Lessons from Walking Alongside Khaya


Watching Khaya’s progress reveals several practical lessons we want to share for entrepreneurs:


Growth is Not a Straight Line

Khaya’s farm did not expand smoothly. There were setbacks, learning curves, and adjustments. This is normal in any business, especially in farming where external factors like weather, building a community and market demand can be unpredictable.


The key is to stay flexible, keep learning and keep moving forward even amidst difficulties. Khaya adapted his systems and diversified his products to manage risks and seize new opportunities.


Ecosystems Matter

Support from organizations like Oribi’s incubation programme make a big difference. The grant funding helped with initial costs, but mentorship, connections and accessing other opportunities offered by other organizations is equally valuable. Khaya's own philosophy captured in part from his Case Study where he say — "anyone doing something food-related can collaborate with us" — is a good description of what it takes to build these ecosystems in the first place. It requires funders, incubators, and retailers all being willing to play a supporting role rather than the lead one, and being patient enough to let an entrepreneur's journey unfold over years, not one funding cycle.


Entrepreneurs should also seek out networks that offer more than money, non-financial support programmes can offer many bridges and interventions that can unlock growth opportunities. Access to advice, markets, and community can be just as important for sustainable growth.


Systems Thinking Creates Strength

While not everyone has access to education and not all entrepreneurs actually get the chance to complete tertiary studies, we believe that Khaya’s IT background gave him tools to design his farm as an interconnected system. AgriKey Farming supplies local informal traders and partners with local schools to seedlings using hydroponics and provide agriculture training. That's not corporate social responsibility bolted onto a farm; it's how Khaya has chosen to structure growth from the outset. It's also, we'd argue, part of why funders and retailers have backed him: the business doesn't just generate revenue, it strengthens the food system around it.


This mindset helped him optimize resources, reduce waste, and improve productivity. Entrepreneurs can benefit from thinking about how different parts of their business fit together and support each other, rather than focusing on isolated tasks.



Practical Steps for Aspiring Entrepreneurs


Khaya’s journey offers clear actions for others looking to build sustainable businesses:


  • Start small but plan big: Begin with manageable resources but design your business to grow and adapt to change.

  • Diversify products or services where possible: This spreads risk and creates multiple income streams.

  • Seek mentorship and funding early: Look for programs that offer both financial support and guidance.

  • Build strong community networks: Engage local markets and customers to create loyal demand.

  • Apply systems thinking: Understand how different parts of your business connect and affect each other.


Supporting Sustainable Growth


Khaya’s story also highlights the importance of sustainability in farming. By integrating renewable energy use for meat processing, producing organic vegetables and using hydroponic systems, AgriKey Farming reduces environmental impact, uses renewable energy to support business operations and improves food security in the community.


Sustainable practices with a positive impact on the environment not only protect resources but also open doors to new markets that value ethical, impact focused and eco-friendly products and production systems.



Final Thoughts


Khaya Burwana’s transformation of 100 chickens into a thriving mixed farm is a powerful example of how entrepreneurs can grow sustainably by combining vision, support, and systems thinking. Khaya's growth illustrates something that holds true across entrepreneurial ecosystems more broadly: individual ventures rarely scale in isolation. They scale through networks — of mentors, peer entrepreneurs, funders, retailers, and community members, each holding a piece of the puzzle.


His from 100 chickens to an award-recognised, multi-pronged, community-anchored enterprise journey reminds us that growth is a process shaped by many factors, including access to an enabling ecosystem, building a community, receiving mentorship, and having an adaptable mindset. His message to fellow changemakers still captures it best: "start where you are, build with what you have, and grow in community."


For anyone starting or growing a business, the takeaway is clear: build systems that work together, seek support beyond funding, and stay flexible through challenges. These steps create a foundation for lasting success that benefits both the entrepreneur and their community.


Connect with Khaya Burwana and AgriKey Farming



AgriKey Farming is one of the entrepreneurs we've supported through our food systems incubation work. Follow AgriKey Farming's journey on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. IG: @Agrikey_Farming_. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.


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