eThekwini city farmers seal deal with Boxer Superstores

The first seedlings of this incredible campaign were planted on 16 June, amid the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent national lockdown that took over South Africa.

The men, all previously homeless and unemployed, took it upon themselves to change their fate, creating an initiative that soon gained traction on social media and in the press.

eThekwini Municipality stepped in and gave permission for the men to work the land and create a city farm, one which is now rows deep, filled with luscious crops.

Now the men have signed their first deal with a supermarket, ensuring that their spinach, tomatoes and peppers will not only find their way onto Boxer shelves and the plates of families in Durban, but will also generate continuous income for all the men on the farm.

“We are thrilled to see these entrepreneurial farmers make something out of nothing. This ground was just a park, and now look at it, farm fresh produce is being harvested and incomes are being generated. Boxer is incredibly proud to be the first retailer to buy in bulk produce from the Elangeni Green Zone and we are committed to assisting these men with advice, further support and growth,” said Boxer’s head of department: fresh produce, Deon Wessels.

Aside from buying the fresh produce, Boxer is also donating seedlings, drums, gumboots, custom created food safety guideline booklets, cleaning and hygiene products and more.

“We are committed to helping the communities that we serve, and we are backing these men 100 per cent. As we work with them and our relationship grows, we will walk with them on this journey from their challenging beginnings to success as city based farmers,” added Joshua Ponsami, group food safety manager at Boxer.