Johannesburg – When Sinethemba Nzuza – despite having three degrees, including a master’s – lost her job, it dawned on her that agriculture was her way out of unemployment.
This is what propelled the 26-year-old to work the land to ease the financial burden off her family who had depleted their resources funding her studies.
Nzuza, who hails from a rural village of Ezindophi, about 5km away from Eshowe in northern KwaZulu-Natal, established Eyesihlahla Farms in 2019 to cultivate the land lying fallow for years.
“As a young girl growing up in the village, I’ve always known that our source of nutrition is the soil. In my homestead, we’ve always grown vegetables from our small backyard garden. So, after my employment contract ended, I had to think fast and innovative so that I could continue having cash flow.
“I knew the plight of unemployed in our country and I didn’t know where my next pay cheque would come from. Fortunately for me, at home we had land that was underutilised. I decided to start working on it and subsequently expanded upon seeing growth,” she said.
“Apart from working on my mother’s small backyard garden, I didn’t have any formal education in farming. I started reading farming books and joined farming pages on Facebook and WhatsApp, where farmers offer mentorship and support. It has been a journey of trial and error.”
Nzuza holds a bachelor of social science degree majoring in community development and political science, honours in public policy and a master’s of commerce in leadership studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The main crops being cultivated in her fields are spinach, green pepper, red speckled beans, tomatoes and potatoes.
Having commenced the project in a small piece of land equaling the size of two football fields, the project grew in leaps and bounds and attracted interest from big retail shops such as Boxer and Spar.
“I now supply schools, hawkers and supermarkets, and I’m inundated with demand.”
Her farming project has also created jobs for graduates who are trapped in the shackles of unemployment.
“I have also been approached by a local TVET college requesting for their students to conduct their practical training with us. I also offer free support and mentorship to young and emerging farmers mainly through social media.”
She appealed for government’s assistance for borehole drilling including applying for water licence rights so that she can access water from the river next to her fields.
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