It was one of those cultural and traditional events at his home in Soweto when Kwanele Dlamini first noticed a struggling apricot tree. “Do you see that apricot tree? Do you know it’s alive and can talk?” his great-grandfather asked, while enjoying some umqombothi with his friends.
The tree was barely producing fruit, yet that question stayed with him, making him wonder how plants actually grow and respond. Years later, that same curiosity shaped Dlamini’s path into agronomy, turning a childhood question into a career.
His great-grandfather, Themba Dlamini, was a foreman on a citrus farm in Groblersdal, Limpopo. After every harvest season, he would visit the family, often bringing bags of fresh produce.
“Sometimes, if the farm did well, over supper, he would share the ups and downs that happened on the farm. It always sounded hectic but fun at the same time,” Dlamini recalls.
Discovering plant and soil sciences
By grade nine, Dlamini was already helping his grandmother grow and sell vegetables from their home garden. Inspired by his great-grandfather’s stories, he began to see farming as more than just survival. When he noticed how pests damaged even small plots, his curiosity deepened.
Still, he admits it felt unusual at the time. “I won’t lie, it felt out of line because my peers were going for the commonly known careers like chartered accounting, engineering, and so on. No one in my neighbourhood had ever done this degree or even knew about it.”
Guided by his high school teacher, Dlamini first pursued plant breeding before switching to genetics at the University of Pretoria in 2019. But a plant physiology trip in his second year changed everything.
“My crop physiology professor stole me from genetics. That’s when I discovered plant and soil sciences. I realised I enjoyed the field more than the lab, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
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With a degree in agronomy, Dlamini explains that anyone in science can agree that practical work is often far more beneficial than theory. “Practical work gives you the visual explanation and experience, the challenges, and the solutions.”
He adds that, in simple terms, plant breeding involves improving plants either by genetic modification or by breeding them with other plants to produce desired characteristics such as pest resistance or higher yields.
A purpose and passion for plants
Currently, he is working as an intern at Dole South Africa, focusing on irrigation, quality control, and harvest estimation in vineyards. “I must say I am enjoying it to the fullest,” he notes.
“Before the week starts, I analyse the weather for the weekend, which helps me figure out the rate of evapotranspiration and determine how many millimetres of water are needed for the week.”
During the post-flowering stage, he counts bunches to estimate yield, and in pack season, he monitors grape quality, assessing colour, size, and bunch weight.
“I have a purpose in this industry, and one of my goals is to make sure agronomy is recognised for its impact and efforts in tackling food insecurity and addressing the challenges of producing more on limited land.”
He also tells Food For Mzansi that agronomy plays a crucial role in driving and improving economic growth, helping farmers adapt to changes such as weather variations, identifying potential phytosanitary pests, and improving crop yields; an essential contribution to reducing food insecurity.
“I am now pursuing my career with Dole SA at Rekopane Estates under Jannier Visser and Charl Niewoudt, and I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dole for this opportunity,” Dlamini says.
“We are responsible for about 60+ hectares of table grapes, and my role is ensuring adequate soil moisture by scheduling irrigation, analysing quality, and estimating harvests.”
With his sights set on advancing agronomy’s role in food security, he is excited about continuing his work in nurturing crops.
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