Young Eastern Cape farmers are gaining year-round production capacity through new irrigation infrastructure, helping strengthen food security, expand rural businesses and create local jobs across communities.
Agriculture MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe has handed over R3.8 million in irrigation, storage and fencing infrastructure to Vivi-Am Holdings, a youth-led vegetable farming enterprise in Sigubudwini village in the OR Tambo District.
The irrigation system covers 11 hectares of land currently under production, while fencing protects more than 20 hectares.
For the young farmers running the enterprise, the investment means production can continue beyond periods when rainfall alone would normally determine planting.
“The irrigation is helping us a lot, as it gives us an opportunity to plant throughout the season,” said Vivi-Am farmer Sihle Guzane.
He said the improved system is also providing crops with a more reliable water supply, strengthening the farm’s ability to increase production.
That additional capacity is already supporting employment.
According to the provincial agriculture department, Vivi-Am Holdings has appointed both permanent and seasonal workers as the farming operation expands.
The enterprise also received a tractor from the department in June, helping reduce some of the operational challenges associated with preparing and managing larger areas of land.
Kontsiwe said the farmers had demonstrated both commitment and an ability to develop a market for what they produce.
“These young people have dedicated themselves to this work. They are young but work hard,” she said.
“We are encouraged by their dedication to working the land and the fact that they have an established market where they sell their produce.”
The investment highlights how agricultural infrastructure can affect much more than crop yields.
Reliable irrigation gives farmers greater control over production cycles, while storage, fencing and machinery can help businesses reduce losses, protect crops and respond more consistently to market demand.
For rural enterprises, those improvements can make the difference between operating seasonally and building a farming business capable of producing throughout more of the year.
The department’s intervention in the area also extends beyond the youth-led commercial farming enterprise.
At Nyanisweni village, a spring water protection project has been handed over to improve access to water for households and strengthen community food production.
The project is providing water for both household use and irrigation, helping residents maintain backyard gardens and other small-scale food production activities.
Its construction also created temporary employment for 40 community members during the installation phase in May 2025.
A further 12 households with backyard food gardens received agricultural inputs valued at R80 000, including fertiliser and vegetable seedlings.
Together, the interventions show how investment in water and farming infrastructure can support different levels of the rural economy.
For a youth-led enterprise such as Vivi-Am Holdings, infrastructure creates an opportunity to increase production, employ more people and build a more sustainable agricultural business.
For households, reliable water and basic farming inputs can strengthen food security and reduce dependence on purchasing all household food.
The longer-term impact will depend on whether the infrastructure is maintained and whether farmers continue gaining access to markets capable of absorbing increased production.
But for young farmers in Sigubudwini, the immediate change is practical: more reliable water means more opportunities to plant, harvest and build a business from the land.
