Katiso Nkoanyane might have started out wanting to work with cars, but his father’s agricultural background shaped his final direction into becoming a hydroponics farmer.
He looked for a career that combined his drive with farming and agricultural management. That led to him later founding Green Life Farming in Emndeni, Soweto.
Now, using modern agritech, he’s converted a small piece of land into a hydroponic system, working smarter to pull serious yields out of a limited area.
Making a tiny space pay off
Following his graduation from the Central University of Technology in 2016 in agricultural management, majoring in crop production, Nkoanyane faced a tough job market.
In 2023, he turned his focus inward and started a hydroponics project in his own backyard using a small space of about 500 square metres.
Nkoanyane explains that farming on such a small plot was born from necessity due to the limited space, and choosing hydroponics was a strategic move.
He inherited his love for farming from his father, who used to lease land for agricultural production.
“I helped him on weekends and during school holidays, and that’s where I fell in love with farming,” Nkoanyane recalls. Following that experience, he researched careers within the agricultural sector.
“I always had a passion for cars and originally wanted to do mechanical engineering,” he says, but ultimately, agricultural studies won.
“The main reason I went for soilless production was to increase productivity, to get more produce out of the little space I have.”
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Taking the leap
Venturing into agritech wasn’t a daunting leap because he already had the technical knowledge from his tertiary education. He funded the start of his business using savings accumulated from internships and short-term work contracts.
Initially, he started with Swiss chard, buying 600 seedlings at R0.60 cents each. He also received a donation of three 25kg bags of calcium nitrate fertiliser from a neighbour, along with second-hand drip tapes for irrigation. For his water supply, he relied on municipal water.
“The first proper hydroponics structure I worked on belonged to a friend who didn’t have the passion or technical knowledge to run production.”
He says, “I operated it for six months. It was a standard 10m x 30m tunnel with a vertical hydroponic setup. The terms of our agreement were that I would teach him the technical side and mentor him for a full 24 months.”
Nkoanyane further explains that hydroponics is incredibly water-efficient. “It doesn’t really use a lot of water because we use drip irrigation, and with the vertical hydroponic structure, we recycle and rotate the exact same water.”
Learning and growing
He explains that hydroponics is a modern farming practice where vegetables are grown in a soilless medium rather than actual soil. It produces a high yield and requires far less space or land than traditional farming.
Right now, he grows Swiss chard and cabbage, though his signature vegetables are Swiss chard and tomatoes.
Not owning land makes it difficult to grow, and he hasn’t received any financial support to date. “My production is entirely self-funded,” he says.
“Keeping the business sustainable is not easy; it takes a lot out of a person, so I do some freelance facilitating on the side to keep going.”
Looking ahead, he has big plans. “One of my goals is to secure land and build proper infrastructure so I can produce to my fullest capacity.”
He also wants to run skills development projects. “I want to conduct training and offer mentorship to other emerging farmers.”
Since starting, one of his biggest challenges has been breaking into the formal market, which demands large, consistent quantities that he simply cannot meet on his current plot.
For now, Green Life Farming and Training Pty Ltd supplies the Emndeni community and surrounding areas, relying mostly on word of mouth.
Nkoanyane also applied for government farms advertised by the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, and is still waiting for a response.
In the meantime, smart collaborations have helped him keep his cash flow steady. He approached local traders who supply street vendors and made a deal to grow for them directly, ensuring they get fresh vegetables right on their doorstep.
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