Nontobeko Shozi
Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal
Age:
30
Project Name/Description:
Co-founder: Vision Ninety Nine (Pty) Ltd
Nontobeko Shozi, an accountant by profession, is also the driving force behind hackathon innovation. Through her initiatives, Shozi takes part in tech and agricultural programmes and mentors rural youth by organising hackathons and digital literacy workshops. Her company, Vision Ninety Nine, started operating in 2021 to address food insecurity, youth unemployment, and the lack of innovation in rural agriculture. “Our focus is on organic yam farming, a climate-resilient crop with strong nutritional and market value,” explains Shozi. She adds, “We also grow sugar beans and seasonal vegetables using sustainable methods like sack farming and intercropping, which allow us to maximise yields on limited land. The project aims to empower youth, introduce climate-smart techniques, and build rural capacity through technology.” Shozi says her rural upbringing shaped her vision. She saw many young people grow up without access to opportunities, while families struggled to put food on the table. Her late great-grandfather, a passionate small-scale farmer, also influenced her dream. She has faced challenges such as floods damaging crops and infrastructure, livestock destroying produce, financial constraints, limited access to technology, and low digital literacy among rural youth. Despite these hurdles, Shozi is optimistic. “We aim to establish a rural agri-innovation hub in Mbiyane that provides training, digital farming tools, and access to smart agriculture for young people. We also plan to expand GrowCare to schools and urban rooftops, scale up yam production, and build value chains that support rural employment and sustainability.”
