Ndwedwe farmer (22) reaps the fruits of her labour

A go-getter young farmer, Sinethemba Masinga, has abandoned her studies to grow her family’s farming business, and is now one of the most admired young farmers in Ndwedwe.

She grows high-value crops such as spinach, tomatoes and peppers. She also delivers to customers who work from home, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

“My journey began during the Covid-19 pandemic. I took over the existing family business and formalised it. After dropping my science degree because of a lack of passion, I saw the need to come up with innovative ideas that would not only help the farming business grow financially, but also serve the community in this time of need,” said Sinethemba, who created jobs by recruiting young people during the pandemic.

Since then their perspective has changed and they now believe that teaching children still in school about the importance of agriculture is a better method of enhancing food security and nutrition.

“I observed the lack of food systems in the school curriculum and decided to teach the little ones how to grow food from an early age. If we can create enjoyable and engaging ways to develop an interest in agriculture at a young age, we will be successful.

“They will take the knowledge and skills back home with them, creating a communal ripple effect.”

She hosts children who come to the farm on weekends to learn how to plant, water or harvest food that they have been taking care of for months.

They get to leave with the food and share it with their families.

The 22-year-old believes that patience, resilience and constant learning and research, backed up by a network of experienced farmers, is what an upcoming farmer needs.

The Verulam Secondary matriculant has a 1.5 hectare vegetable farm and employs four people. She supplies a number of big stores and supermarkets.

Also responsible for doing the administrative side of the business, the passionate Sinethemba is the first person on duty and the last to leave, and dedicates her lunchtime to completing emergency admin work.

“My day usually starts at 5am with a prayer, coffee and getting to work. If I’m not supplying that day I check the crops and begin planning the day with my team at around 6am. My day ends at 6pm and I want to be the last person going home, knowing everything is done.”

She advises aspiring farmers to have passion and discipline, as this will keep them grounded when things go wrong.

“Living in a rural area makes it difficult to water our plants regularly without an irrigation system,” said Sinethemba, who has had to fence her farm to protect the crops from cattle.

“Overall, we need to come together and work with each other to find innovative ways of going forward. Farming is not a journey you should take alone if you want to go far.”

Going forward she hopes to expand.

“I see the business being a pillar in our community, employing more youth and equipping young women with the necessary skills to grow in this industry.”

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