“Mphathi” derives from the verb “ukuphatha,” meaning “to manage,” “to handle,” or “to rule.” Thus, the name signifies “manager,” “administrator,” or “leader,” often bestowed upon individuals who are expected to exhibit strong leadership qualities or assume positions of responsibility.
On a dairy farm in the Eastern Cape, mornings start before the sun. By 4 a.m., while most of the world is still asleep, Mphathi Zulu is already pulling on his Jim Green Highlanders, ready to face the day. With close to a thousand cows to milk before most people have breakfast, there’s no room for gear that doesn’t pull its weight.
For Mphathi, the boots are what carry him through muddy mornings, long hours, and heavy hooves. Gumboots, he says, are “your worst nightmare” on cold mornings and offer little protection when a cow steps on your foot. His Highlanders (with their steel-toe cap), on the other hand, have been through it all, “If a cow steps on me in these,” he laughs, “it’s just a matter of a cow stepping on me. Nothing much about that.”
He’s been wearing Jim Green boots for four years now, and the bond is only getting stronger. From borrowing a friend’s pair of Razorbacks as a student to now relying on his own Highlanders every day, he’s seen firsthand what sets the boots apart. “Other boots I had back then are long gone. These are still going strong. I can wear them in the kraal, and the next day clean them up for an auction, they’re still sharp.”
At 21, Mphathi is carving his path in agriculture with determination well beyond his years. Raised in Nongoma, a small town in Northern Natal, farming was always part of his daily life, but his journey officially began when he enrolled at Cedara College of Agriculture in the Midlands. Today, he works as a dairy student on a Just Milk farm, where his days revolve around the rhythm of the herd: early mornings, long hours, and the discipline of caring for animals that provide food for the nation. When he’s not in the kraal, you’ll find him on the rugby field, where he plays lock. A position where he thrives on teamwork and grit, qualities that mirror the resilience he brings to farming.
Ask him what he loves most about farming, and he answers with conviction, “It’s more peaceful working with animals than with people. And it feels good knowing you’re doing something that will always matter. People need food every day.”
Mphathi’s vision extends beyond the daily milking routine. He’s not chasing farm ownership, at least not yet. Instead, he’s building himself into someone the dairy industry can’t ignore. “When you think dairy industry,” he says with confidence, “my face should pop up in your head.”
It’s a big dream, but those who know him would argue it suits him perfectly. After all, his very name carries weight. On the farm, in the rugby scrum, and in the dairy industry, Mphathi Zulu is living proof of that. His Jim Greens carry him through the grind, but it’s his vision and determination that set him apart. Boots can handle the mud. Leaders, like Mphathi, handle the rest.
Cheers,
The Jim Green Team