Nokwanda Nkqayi became an enthusiastic businesswoman through the AgriPlanner Programme in Cape Town due to the lack of finding a job. Nkgayi fell in love with farming upon gaining experience at the Siyazama Community Food Garden in Khayelitsha in 2004. “The municipality gave us this land to farm and we received AgriPlanner training. Now we grow peppers, kale, cabbage, leeks, rocket, herbs and lots of other things,” she added.
They supply food to hotels, restaurants, retailers and families in Cape Town, through a vegetable box ordering programme. Each farmer has gone from only farming to feed themselves and their families, to earn an average income of between R8 000 and R12 000 a month.
“I am much healthier from eating these organic vegetables and getting exercise every day. It has also empowered me. I was unemployed, but now I have a variety of skills and a steady income,” said Ngqayi. In addition, she also takes vegetables to the poor, sick and elderly in the community and teaches children in five schools all about farming.
The AgriPlanner training is part of the AgriPlanner programme which focuses on equipping participants with the knowledge and skills needed to become successful farmers. The AgriPlanner programme is a joint initiative between the SA Institute for Entrepreneurship and Coronation Fund Managers, which has assisted over 5 000 emerging farmers, 65% of whom are women.
According to Anton Pillay, CEO of Coronation “Farmers play a vital role in local communities, including creating jobs, adding to food security and benefiting the local economy. Climate change and a lack of training and business support are some of the challenges they face. This is why we will continue to offer local food growers practical training and entrepreneurial support,”.
