3 Limpopo cousins turn abandoned school into farming academy that has created 50 jobs

Three cousins from Mosehleng village, Limpopo, registered the Bokamoso Farmers' Academy in 2017 and began transforming a derelict school into a working agricultural hub
The academy sits on a 130-hectare farm and has already created around 50 jobs while generating approximately R5 million
South Africans online praised the cousins for building something meaningful in a rural community often left behind

Three cousins from a small Limpopo village saw something others had written off. Where most people looked at an abandoned rural school and saw nothing, Jerry Tjale, Tys Tjale, and James Tjale saw a future.

Jerry, Tys, and James Tjale, the founders of Bokamoso Farmers' Academy in Limpopo, trained many farmers — Jerry, Tys, and James Tjale transformed a derelict school into the Bokamoso Farmers' Academy in Limpopo. Image: Ivan Pantic
Source: Getty Images

The trio registered the Bokamoso Farmers' Academy in 2017 in Mosehleng village, Limpopo. The name "Bokamoso" translates to "future" in Sotho, and that word captures exactly what the cousins set out to build. Renovations on the old school began in 2021, paused, then resumed in 2023.

The academy now operates across a 130-hectare farm and has trained more than 20,000 agricultural workers. Over 500 clients have passed through its programmes, and the project has created roughly 50 jobs while generating around R5 million in economic activity.

According to a feature by African Farm journalist Lebogang Mashala, published between 16 and 18 October 2026, the Tjale cousins turned a space of neglect into a centre of real agricultural skills for people in one of South Africa's most rural provinces. Read the post below:

Mzansi reacts to the Limpopo farm academy

South Africans were quick to applaud the cousins when the story appeared on the Good News South Africa Facebook page on 19 October 2026:

Siphosakhe Vuso said:

"This is a very, very, very good idea to transform these schools to be the community development centres to empower the people in rural areas."

Kelelo Molapo added:

"There are thousands of abandoned schools in SA; government should give it back to the community to utilise it."

Richard Brueton wrote:

"Well done, this is what we need instead of G Wagons and Lamborghinis!"

Richard Mali shared:

"Great stuff, and please keep up the good work guys; you're real patriots and great nation builders. May God bless you with lots of goodwill and prosperity in your outstanding community building project."

3 Limpopo cousins turn abandoned school into farming academy that has created 50 jobs

Mzansi reacts to the Limpopo farm academy

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